Can I use Orange County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Orange County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Orange County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Orange County?

Start with the 21 listed public schools and 9 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Orange County Schools & Education

Name: Orange County, Vermont Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Orange County, Vermont

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

79.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

79.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$10,019

National avg $13,239

State avg $11,012

School Score

48/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#11

of 14 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Orange County

Measured School Summary

Orange County has midrange measured school signals (score: 48/100) with a graduation rate of 79.1%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Orange County spends $10,019 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 13% below the Vermont average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Orange County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

21 public schools and 9 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

48/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #11 of 14 Vermont counties with school score data.

Completion

79.1%

2.2 pts below the state average

Funding context

$10,019

$993 below the state average

School coverage

9 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Orange County has 21 public schools across 9 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Orange County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Orange County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#11

of 14 Vermont counties with school score data. The county score is 7 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Elementary and high visible

853 students

Elementary 3Middle 0High 2Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Oxbow Unified Union School District #91

Elementary and high visible

685 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 2Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Blue Mountain Union School District #21

Other grade structure

411 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

Waits River Union High District #36

Elementary school only in this slice

263 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Orange County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Orange County district systems?

Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Orange County, Vermont

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Network of Small Rural Schools

Orange County operates 21 public schools, including 13 elementary and 5 high schools, serving 3,699 students. Education is managed across 9 distinct districts, creating a decentralized but localized infrastructure.

Spotlight on Regional Education Districts

The Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 is the largest, enrolling 853 students across 5 schools. No charter schools operate in the county, meaning all 3,699 students attend traditional public institutions.

Intimate Classrooms in Rural Settings

With 20 of 21 schools classified as rural, the average enrollment is just 195 students. Blue Mountain Union School is the largest campus with 411 students, while many smaller elementary schools offer highly personalized attention.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Orange County

Reported Enrollment

3,699

21 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary13

Middle2

High5

Other1

9 School Districts in Orange County

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

5 schools

853 students

Oxbow Unified Union School District #91

4 schools

685 students

Rivendell Interstate School District

3 schools

427 students

Blue Mountain Union School District #21

1 school

411 students

Waits River Union High District #36

1 school

263 students

First Branch Unified School District #82

2 schools

243 students

Thetford School District

1 school

208 students

Echo Valley Community Union School District #67

2 schools

195 students

Strafford School District

1 school

126 students

21 Public Schools in Orange County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 21 matching schools

Public schools in Orange County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Blue Mountain Union School	Record	Blue Mountain Union School District #21	Wells River, 05081Rural: Remote	PK–12	Other	411
Randolph Union High School	Record	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Randolph, 05060Rural: Remote	7–12	High	366
Oxbow Union High School	Record	Oxbow Unified Union School District #91	Bradford, 05033Rural: Remote	7–12	High	355
Randolph Elementary School	Record	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Randolph, 05060Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	335
Williamstown Middle/High School	Record	Paine Mountain Union School District #68	Williamstown, 05679Rural: Fringe	6–12	High	271
Waits River Valley Union School	Record	Waits River Union High District #36	East Corinth, 05040Rural: Remote	PK–8	Primary	263
Williamstown Elementary School	Record	Paine Mountain Union School District #68	Williamstown, 05679Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	251
Bradford Elementary School	Record	Oxbow Unified Union School District #91	Bradford, 05033Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	234
Thetford Elementary School	Record	Thetford School District	Thetford, 05074Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	208
First Branch Elementary School	Record	First Branch Unified School District #82	Tunbridge, 05077Rural: Remote	PK–4	Primary	149
Newton School	Record	Strafford School District	South Strafford, 05070Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	126
Washington Village School	Record	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67	Washington, 05675Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	118
Samuel Morey Elementary School	Record	Rivendell Interstate School District	Fairlee, 05045Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	116
Newbury Elementary School	Record	Oxbow Unified Union School District #91	Newbury, 05051Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	96
First Branch Middle School	Record	First Branch Unified School District #82	Chelsea, 05038Rural: Distant	5–8	Middle	94
Braintree School	Record	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Braintree, 05060Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	81
Orange Center School	Record	Echo Valley Community Union School District #67	East Barre, 05649Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	77
Westshire Elementary School	Record	Rivendell Interstate School District	West Fairlee, 05083Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	77
Brookfield School	Record	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Brookfield, 05036Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	71
Randolph Technical Career Center	Record	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Randolph, 05060Rural: Remote	9–12	Vocational	0

Blue Mountain Union School

Blue Mountain Union School District #21

Wells River, 05081 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other411 students

Randolph Union High School

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Randolph, 05060 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High366 students

Oxbow Union High School

Oxbow Unified Union School District #91

Bradford, 05033 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High355 students

Randolph Elementary School

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Randolph, 05060 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary335 students

Williamstown Middle/High School

Paine Mountain Union School District #68

Williamstown, 05679 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–12High271 students

Waits River Valley Union School

Waits River Union High District #36

East Corinth, 05040 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary263 students

Williamstown Elementary School

Paine Mountain Union School District #68

Williamstown, 05679 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary251 students

Bradford Elementary School

Oxbow Unified Union School District #91

Bradford, 05033 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary234 students

Thetford Elementary School

Thetford School District

Thetford, 05074 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary208 students

First Branch Elementary School

First Branch Unified School District #82

Tunbridge, 05077 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary149 students

Newton School

Strafford School District

South Strafford, 05070 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary126 students

Washington Village School

Echo Valley Community Union School District #67

Washington, 05675 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary118 students

Samuel Morey Elementary School

Rivendell Interstate School District

Fairlee, 05045 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary116 students

Newbury Elementary School

Oxbow Unified Union School District #91

Newbury, 05051 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary96 students

First Branch Middle School

First Branch Unified School District #82

Chelsea, 05038 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle94 students

Braintree School

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Braintree, 05060 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary81 students

Orange Center School

Echo Valley Community Union School District #67

East Barre, 05649 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle77 students

Westshire Elementary School

Rivendell Interstate School District

West Fairlee, 05083 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary77 students

Brookfield School

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Brookfield, 05036 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary71 students

Randolph Technical Career Center

Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59

Randolph, 05060 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12Vocational0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$10,019

State avg $11,012

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Orange County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Vermont counties have the highest graduation rates?

Lamoille County (89.2%), Addison County (87.0%), and Chittenden County (85.8%) currently lead Vermont among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Vermont?

Across Vermont counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $11,012. The highest current county values are Chittenden County ($13,280), Washington County ($12,845), and Rutland County ($12,596). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Orange County?

Orange County has a school score of 48/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Orange County?

The high school graduation rate in Orange County is 79.1%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Orange County spend per student?

Orange County spends $10,019 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Orange County, Vermont — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Orange County, Vermont?

What are the major school districts in Orange County, Vermont?

What is the school experience like in Orange County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Orleans County

Vermont

-0 pts

48/100

School score

Windham County

Vermont

+0 pts

48/100

School score

Caledonia County

Vermont

+3 pts

51/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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