Nelson County Schools & Education
Nelson County, Virginia
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
56/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
87.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
87.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 89.0%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,977
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,941
School Score
56/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 54/100
State Score Position
#54
of 127 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Nelson County
Measured School Summary
Nelson County performs at an average level with a school score of 56/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.0%.
Funding Context
Nelson County spends $8,977 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 3% above the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Nelson 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
4 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
56/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #54 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.
Completion
87.0%
2.0 pts below the state average
Funding context
$8,977
$1,036 above the state average
School coverage
4
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
Nelson County has 4 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.
What Nelson 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
Nelson 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
#54
of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 2 points above 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.
Nelson County Public Schools
Elementary to high school visible
1,480 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Nelson County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Nelson County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
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
Nelson County Outspends State Average with $8,977 Per-Pupil Expenditure
Education data brief for Nelson County, Virginia.
Nelson County’s per-pupil expenditure of $8,977 is its most notable metric, exceeding the Virginia state average of $7,941 by more than $1,000. This spending level remains below the national average of $13,000. The Nelson County Public Schools district serves 1,480 students across four schools, all of which are situated in rural locales. Nelson County High is the largest school in the district, with 517 students, followed by Tye River Elementary with 355 students. The county’s graduation rate is 87.0%, matching the national average but trailing the state average of 89.0%. The composite school score for Nelson County is 55.6, which is higher than both the state average of 54.1 and the national median of 50.0. There are no charter schools in the district, and the average school size is 370 students. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
4
in Nelson County
Reported Enrollment
1,480
4 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Nelson County
Nelson County Public Schools
4 Public Schools in Nelson 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 dataLevel
Showing 4 of 4 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NELSON COUNTY HIGH | Record | Nelson County Public Schools | Lovingston, 22949Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 517 |
| Tye River Elementary | Record | Nelson County Public Schools | Arrington, 22922Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 355 |
| NELSON MIDDLE | Record | Nelson County Public Schools | Lovingston, 22949Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 340 |
| Rockfish River Elementary | Record | Nelson County Public Schools | Afton, 22920Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 268 |
NELSON COUNTY HIGH
Nelson County Public Schools
Lovingston, 22949 / Rural: Distant
Tye River Elementary
Nelson County Public Schools
Arrington, 22922 / Rural: Distant
NELSON MIDDLE
Nelson County Public Schools
Lovingston, 22949 / Rural: Distant
Rockfish River Elementary
Nelson County Public Schools
Afton, 22920 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,977
State avg $7,941
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Nelson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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What is the graduation rate in Nelson County?
How much does Nelson County spend per student?
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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.