Enrollment
432
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Galax, VA
Galax High
Federal NCES profile for Galax High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510156000301
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Galax High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Virginia schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Galax · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 88.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Galax High has class sizes larger than 82% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Galax High ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Galax, VA.
School address
District: Galax City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510156000301 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Galax High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Galax High
Galax High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Galax, Virginia, enrolling 432 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 432 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 418 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #106.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 55/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 88 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 432 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Galax City Public Schools also operates Galax Elementary (667 students) and Galax Middle (335 students) alongside Galax High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Galax High compares
Galax High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 15% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.1% | ▲ 53% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 82% in Virginia - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,523
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 56.9%
Hispanic or Latino 34.5%
African American 5.8%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.3, Galax High is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Galax City Public Schools, which includes Galax High.
$13,523
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 52.0%
Federal 23.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Galax High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galax Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Galax Middle | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Galax High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~432 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Galax High's federal record.
- Compare Galax High against another school. Compare schools
- Galax City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Galax High
How many students attend Galax High?
Galax High has 432 students enrolled. It is a high school in Galax, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Galax High?
The student-teacher ratio at Galax High is 16:1, which is 15% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Galax High?
88.1% of students at Galax High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Galax High?
The largest demographic group at Galax High is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Galax, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Galax High?
Galax High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Galax High rank among public schools in Galax?
By Resource Investment Index, Galax High ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Galax, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Galax on the city page.
Is Galax High a good school?
Galax High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Virginia schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Galax City Public Schools?
Besides Galax High, Galax City Public Schools also operates Galax Elementary (667 students) and Galax Middle (335 students). See the Galax City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.