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Monterey, Virginia - 2 schools
An equity score of 78/100 ranks Highland County Public Schools #5 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $24,994 per pupil, Highland County Public Schools ranks #2 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
200
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$24,994
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Highland County Public Schools operates 2 public schools serving 200 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Highland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,994 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 14 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 47.2% local, 43.5% state, and 9.3% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 78/100, ranked #5 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 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 104:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 22.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.2% White, 1.0% African American, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Highland Elementary, enrolling 105 students (50% of the district's total enrollment).
Highland Elementary accounts for 50.5% of all Highland County Public Schools student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Highland County Public Schools a distant remainder — means Highland County Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
Highland County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 104:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)
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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.
Highland County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 22.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Highland County Public Schools is typically wider than the Highland County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Highland 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.
How many schools are in Highland County Public Schools?
Highland County Public Schools has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 200 students.
How much does Highland County Public Schools spend per student?
Highland County Public Schools spends $24,994 per student. The district has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #5 in Virginia.
What is the demographic composition of Highland County Public Schools?
Highland County Public Schools students are 95.2% White, 1.0% African American, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Highland County Public Schools?
Highland County Public Schools has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #5 out of 131 districts in Virginia.