Sussex 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.

Stony Creek, Virginia - 3 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks Sussex County Public Schools #50 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,840 per pupil, Sussex County Public Schools ranks #4 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

998
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$21,840
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sussex County Public Schools operates 3 public schools serving 998 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Sussex County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,840 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 36.3% local, 45.6% state, and 18.1% 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 56/100, ranked #50 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 174.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 24.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.7% African American, 20.8% White, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sussex Central Elementary, with a diversity index of 54.1/100.

Its largest campus is Sussex Central Elementary, enrolling 478 students (46% of the district's total enrollment).

Sussex Central Elementary accounts for 45.7% of all Sussex County Public Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Sussex County Public Schools a distant remainder — means Sussex 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.

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

Sussex County Public Schools school enrollment varies 2.0× across entities

Sussex County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 238 students (lowest) to 478 students (highest), a spread of 240 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

Sussex County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 175:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Sussex County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 24.4% — 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 Sussex County Public Schools is typically wider than the Sussex County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

18.1%
Federal
45.6%
State
36.3%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
50 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Sussex County Public Schools.

White 20.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 66.7%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 3.4%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 50.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Sussex County Public Schools's schools, below the Virginia average of 53.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sussex Central Elementary 54.1
  2. 2 Sussex Central Middle 51.2
  3. 3 Sussex Central High 45.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
174.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
24.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sussex County Public Schools

School Enrollment
Sussex Central Elementary
478
Sussex Central High
331
Sussex Central Middle
238

How Sussex County Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Franklin City Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Lancaster County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Mathews County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Buena Vista City Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
King and Queen County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Sussex 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 Sussex 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 Sussex County Public Schools?

Sussex County Public Schools has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 998 students.

How much does Sussex County Public Schools spend per student?

Sussex County Public Schools spends $21,840 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #50 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Sussex County Public Schools?

Sussex County Public Schools students are 66.7% African American, 20.8% White, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sussex County Public Schools?

Sussex County Public Schools has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #50 out of 131 districts in Virginia.