Enrollment
557
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Richlands, VA
Richlands High
Federal NCES profile for Richlands High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510381001661
👥 S:T ratio 49
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richlands High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Richlands · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 82.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Richlands High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richlands High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Richlands, VA.
School address
District: Tazewell County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510381001661 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richlands High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richlands High
Richlands High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Richlands, Virginia, enrolling 557 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 557 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 414 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #281.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Tazewell County Public Schools spends $11,631 per pupil, 21% below the Virginia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 137 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 557 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tazewell County Public Schools also operates Richlands Elementary (576 students) and Tazewell High (509 students) alongside Richlands 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 Richlands High compares
Richlands 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 43% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
557
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in Virginia - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,631
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
73
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 97.1%
Two or More 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Largest group: White at 97.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.7, Richlands High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tazewell County Public Schools, which includes Richlands High.
$11,631
Per student
-21%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.6%
State 65.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Richlands High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richlands Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tazewell High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Graham High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richlands Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tazewell Primary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richlands High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richlands High's federal record.
- Compare Richlands High against another school. Compare schools
- Tazewell County 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 Richlands High
How many students attend Richlands High?
Richlands High has 557 students enrolled. It is a high school in Richlands, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richlands High?
The student-teacher ratio at Richlands High is 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richlands High?
82.2% of students at Richlands High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richlands High?
The largest demographic group at Richlands High is White at 97.1% of enrollment, in Richlands, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richlands High?
Richlands High has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Richlands High rank among public schools in Richlands?
By Resource Investment Index, Richlands High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Richlands, 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 Richlands on the city page.
Is Richlands High a good school?
Richlands High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Tazewell County Public Schools?
Besides Richlands High, Tazewell County Public Schools also operates Richlands Elementary (576 students), Tazewell High (509 students), and Graham High (489 students). See the Tazewell County 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.