Enrollment
242
West Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buckhannon, WV
Union Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 540147001432
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the West Virginia median.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Buckhannon · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 242
- students enrolled
Union Elementary School has class sizes near the West Virginia median. Computed live against every West Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Buckhannon, WV.
School address
District: Upshur County Schools · West Virginia
NCES ID 540147001432 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.1:1 West Virginia avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Elementary School compares with West Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Elementary School
Union Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buckhannon, West Virginia, enrolling 242 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of West Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 242 students, its enrollment sits close to the West Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 643 scored West Virginia schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (99% of enrollment) (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 60 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 242 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Upshur County Schools also operates Buckhannon Upshur High School (1,068 students) and B-U Middle School (718 students) alongside Union Elementary School.
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 Union Elementary School compares
Union Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against West Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs West Virginia | West Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 66% in West Virginia - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.6%
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
$12,738
per pupil, district-wide
- below West Virginia avg of $14,844
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.8 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 99.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 99.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.6, Union Elementary School is less mixed than the West Virginia school average of 17.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Upshur County Schools, which includes Union Elementary School.
$12,738
Per student
-14%
vs West Virginia
Avg $14,844
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 54.3%
Federal 23.0%
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 Union Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhannon Upshur High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| B-U Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckhannon Academy Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tennerton Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| French Creek Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 289
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 205
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of West Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~242 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Union Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Upshur County 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 Union Elementary School
How many students attend Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has 242 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buckhannon, WV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 8% higher than the West Virginia average of 13.1:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union Elementary School is White at 99.2% of enrollment, in Buckhannon, WV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Union Elementary School rank among schools in Buckhannon?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Buckhannon, WV. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Buckhannon on the city page.
Is Union Elementary School a good school?
Union Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the West Virginia median. 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 Upshur County Schools?
Besides Union Elementary School, Upshur County Schools also operates Buckhannon Upshur High School (1,068 students), B-U Middle School (718 students), and Buckhannon Academy Elementary School (487 students). See the Upshur County 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.