Dickenson County Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Clintwood, Virginia - 5 schools

An equity score of 73/100 ranks Dickenson County Public Schools #14 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,634 per pupil, Dickenson County Public Schools ranks #74 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,946
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,634
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Dickenson County Public Schools operates 5 public schools serving 1,946 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 middle, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dickenson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,634 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.2% local, 64.8% state, and 16.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 73/100, ranked #14 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 354.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 39.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.8% White, 1.1% African American, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Ridgeview Middle, enrolling 586 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ervinton Elementary, at 113 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ridgeview Middle accounts for 28.6% of all Dickenson County Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Dickenson County Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Dickenson County Public Schools school enrollment varies 5.2× across entities

Dickenson County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 113 students (lowest) to 586 students (highest), a spread of 473 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Dickenson County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 90.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Dickenson County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 355:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Dickenson County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 39.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

16.0%
Federal
64.8%
State
19.2%
Local

Funding Equity

73
Equity Score
14 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Dickenson County Public Schools.

White 96.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
African American 1.1%
Multiracial 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
354.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
39.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Dickenson County Public Schools

School Enrollment
Ridgeview Middle
586
Ridgeview High
548
Clintwood Elementary
425
Sandlick Elementary
376
Ervinton Elementary
113

How Dickenson County Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Buckingham County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Clarke County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Prince Edward County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Greensville County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Poquoson City Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Dickenson County Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Virginia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Dickenson County Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Fairfax County Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Dickenson County Public Schools?

Dickenson County Public Schools has 5 schools, including 1 middle, 1 high, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 1,946 students.

How much does Dickenson County Public Schools spend per student?

Dickenson County Public Schools spends $13,634 per student. The district has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #14 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Dickenson County Public Schools?

Dickenson County Public Schools students are 96.8% White, 1.1% African American, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Dickenson County Public Schools?

Dickenson County Public Schools has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #14 out of 131 districts in Virginia.