schoolsbycounty

Highland County Schools & Education

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

75.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

75.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$12,429

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#74

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Highland County

Measured School Summary

Highland County has midrange measured school signals (score: 50/100) with a graduation rate of 75.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

With $12,429 per pupil, Highland County has adequate funding that generally covers core educational needs and some supplemental services.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 8% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 14.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 57% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Highland 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

2 public schools and 1 district 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

50/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #74 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

75.0%

14.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$12,429

$4,488 above the state average

School coverage

2

1 district 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

Highland County has 2 public schools across 1 district, 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.

Parent decision brief

What Highland 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.

Small-system county

Highland County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

#74

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 4 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.

Highland County Public Schools

Elementary and high visible

200 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Highland County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 2 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 Highland County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

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?

Data Story

Highland County Operates One of Virginia’s Smallest Public School Systems

Education data brief for Highland County, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:District structure

Highland County’s public education system is distinguished by its small scale, serving a total of 200 students across only two facilities. Highland County Public Schools consists of Highland High, with 103 students, and Highland Elementary, with 97 students. This total enrollment is notably lower than most county-wide systems across the state and nation. The county reports a 75.0% graduation rate, which is 14 percentage points below the Virginia state average of 89.0% and 12 points below the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is recorded at $12,429, which is significantly higher than the state average of $7,941 and nears the national average of $13,000. Both schools are located in rural areas, and the system maintains an average school size of 100 students. The composite school score for the county is 49.9, slightly trailing the national median of 50.0 and the state average of 54.1. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

2

in Highland County

Reported Enrollment

200

2 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary1
Middle0
High1
Other0

1 School District in Highland County

Highland County Public Schools

2 schools
200 students enrolled

2 Public Schools in Highland 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

Level

Showing 2 of 2 matching schools

HIGHLAND HIGH

Highland County Public Schools

Monterey, 24465 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12High103 students

Highland Elementary

Highland County Public Schools

Monterey, 24465 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary97 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$12,429

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Highland 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 Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?
Alleghany County (97.0%), Clarke County (97.0%), and Falls Church city (97.0%) currently lead Virginia 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 Virginia?
Across Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,941. The highest current county values are Surry County ($12,490), Highland County ($12,429), and Arlington County ($11,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Highland County?
Highland County has a school score of 50/100, 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 Highland County?
The high school graduation rate in Highland County is 75.0%, 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 Highland County spend per student?
Highland County spends $12,429 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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.