Upshur County 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.

Buckhannon, West Virginia - 9 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Upshur County Schools #44 of 56 districts in West Virginia (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,738 per pupil, Upshur County Schools ranks #50 of 56 West Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (West Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,776
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$12,738
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Upshur County Schools operates 9 public schools serving 3,776 students, placing it among the smaller districts in West Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Upshur County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,738 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 6 of 56 West Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how West Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.7% local, 54.3% state, and 23.0% 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 26/100, ranked #44 of 56 in West Virginia against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (27 AP courses district-wide), a 351.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.5% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Buckhannon Academy Elementary School, with a diversity index of 10.6/100.

Its largest campus is Buckhannon Upshur High School, enrolling 1,068 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rock Cave Elementary, at 112 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Buckhannon Upshur High School accounts for 28.3% of all Upshur County Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Upshur County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Upshur County Schools school enrollment varies 9.5× across entities

Upshur County Schools school enrollment ranges from 112 students (lowest) to 1,068 students (highest), a spread of 956 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Upshur County Schools student-counselor ratio is 351:1 — 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

Upshur County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 31.8% — 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?

23.0%
Federal
54.3%
State
22.7%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
44 / 56
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Upshur County Schools.

White 97.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Multiracial 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 4.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Upshur County Schools's schools, below the West Virginia average of 17.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Buckhannon Academy Elementary School 10.6
  2. 2 Buckhannon Upshur High School 8.5
  3. 3 Rock Cave Elementary 7.0
  4. 4 B-U Middle School 6.5
  5. 5 Tennerton Elementary 4.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
27 AP courses total
351.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Upshur County Schools

School Enrollment
Buckhannon Upshur High School
1,068
B-U Middle School
718
Buckhannon Academy Elementary School
487
Tennerton Elementary
289
Union Elementary School
242
French Creek Elementary
205
Hodgesville Elementary
151
Washington District Elementary
113
Rock Cave Elementary
112

How Upshur County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The West Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mason County Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Mingo County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Randolph County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Wyoming County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mineral County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Nearby Districts in West Virginia

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

Kanawha County Schools
23,864 students · 67 schools · $13,227/pupil
Compare vs Upshur County Schools →
Berkeley County Schools
19,856 students · 32 schools · $12,704/pupil
Compare vs Upshur County Schools →
Wood County Schools
11,663 students · 27 schools · $12,407/pupil
Compare vs Upshur County Schools →
Cabell County Schools
11,473 students · 26 schools · $14,538/pupil
Compare vs Upshur County Schools →
Monongalia County Schools
11,297 students · 18 schools · $13,751/pupil
Compare vs Upshur County Schools →

Compare Upshur County Schools

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

Compare vs Kanawha County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Upshur County Schools?

Upshur County Schools has 9 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 7 combined. Total enrollment is 3,776 students.

How much does Upshur County Schools spend per student?

Upshur County Schools spends $12,738 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #44 in West Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Upshur County Schools?

Upshur County Schools students are 97.5% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Upshur County Schools?

Upshur County Schools has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #44 out of 56 districts in West Virginia.