Enrollment
242
West Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 540147001432
Union Elementary School — Buckhannon, WV
Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 6
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Elementary School earns an F Resource Investment Index (29/100), with class sizes larger than 78% of West Virginia schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 29/100
- 15.5:1
- large classes for West Virginia
- 242
- students enrolled
School address
District: Upshur County Schools · West Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.7:1 West Virginia avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Elementary School compares with West Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Union Elementary School reports 242 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 17.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% above the West Virginia state mean of 13.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 484 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Upshur County Schools spends $13,627 per pupil district-wide, below the West Virginia average of $16,253 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.7% from local sources (property taxes), 54.3% from the state, and 23.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Union Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against West Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs West Virginia | West Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 36% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
16 smaller classes than 44% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
242 larger than 24% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
— 13% above state mean
Top 78% in West Virginia — lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,627
per pupil, district-wide
— below West Virginia avg of $16,253
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 484 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 242 Top 36% in West Virginia — larger than 64% of 648 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 17.0
Students per teacher 15.5:1 +13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 540147001432
Student demographics
White 99.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 99.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 484:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.6%
In-school suspensions 32
Out-of-school suspensions 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Upshur County Schools, which includes Union Elementary School.
$13,627
Per student
-16%
vs West Virginia
Avg $16,253
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 289
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 205
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
Similar other schools in Buckhannon
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Buckhannon Academy Elementary School
Standard public school
487 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Tennerton Elementary
Standard public school
289 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Hodgesville Elementary
Standard public school
151 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Washington District Elementary
Standard public school
113 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Union Elementary School
How many students attend Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has 242 students enrolled. It is a other school in BUCKHANNON, WV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School is 15.5:1, which is 13% higher than the West Virginia average of 13.7:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union Elementary School is White at 99.2%. The school serves a student body in BUCKHANNON, WV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary School?
Union Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.