Enrollment
809
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Big Stone Gap, VA
Union Primary
Federal NCES profile for Union Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510408001793
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Primary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Big Stone Gap · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 83.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Primary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Primary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Big Stone Gap, VA.
School address
District: Wise County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510408001793 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Primary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Primary
Union Primary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, enrolling 809 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 809 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 310 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #170.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Wise County Public Schools spends $11,634 per pupil, 21% below the Virginia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wise County Public Schools also operates Central High (676 students) and Wise Primary (603 students) alongside Union Primary.
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 Primary compares
Union Primary on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.7% | ▲ 45% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 809 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
809
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 49% in Virginia - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,634
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 405 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 89.1%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.1, Union Primary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wise County Public Schools, which includes Union Primary.
$11,634
Per student
-21%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.2%
State 57.1%
Federal 19.7%
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 Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wise Primary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J.W. Adams Combined | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Primary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 676
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other 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 (~809 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Primary's federal record.
- Compare Union Primary against another school. Compare schools
- Wise 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 Union Primary
How many students attend Union Primary?
Union Primary has 809 students enrolled. It is a public school in Big Stone Gap, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Primary is 13.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 13% 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 Union Primary?
83.7% of students at Union Primary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Primary?
The largest demographic group at Union Primary is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Big Stone Gap, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Primary?
Union Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Primary rank among public schools in Big Stone Gap?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Primary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Big Stone Gap, 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 Big Stone Gap on the city page.
Is Union Primary a good school?
Union Primary earns 47/100 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 Wise County Public Schools?
Besides Union Primary, Wise County Public Schools also operates Central High (676 students), Wise Primary (603 students), and Union High (564 students). See the Wise 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.