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

No. Use the Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell County?

Start with the 14 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Russell County Schools & Education

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

Russell County, Virginia

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

School Score

53/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

92.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

92.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,022

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

53/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#65

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Russell County

Measured School Summary

Russell County performs at an average level with a school score of 53/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,022 per pupil, Russell County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 2% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 12% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Russell 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

14 public schools and 2 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

53/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #65 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

92.0%

3.0 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,022

$919 below the state average

School coverage

2 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

Russell County has 14 public schools across 2 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 Russell 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.

Dominant-district county

Russell County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 13 of 14 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#65

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 79% 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.

Russell County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

3,375 students

Elementary 7Middle 1High 3Other 2

13 listed schools in this county slice.

PROJECT BRIDGE/RUSSELL CO

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Russell County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 13 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 Russell County?

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

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?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Russell County Graduation Rate Outpaces State and National Benchmarks

Education data brief for Russell County, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

Russell County reports a graduation rate of 92.0%, which is higher than the Virginia state average of 89.0% and the national mark of 87.0%. While graduation outcomes are elevated, per-pupil expenditure in the county is $7,022, approximately $46,000 lower than the national average of $13,000 and below the state average of $7,941. The local education landscape is primarily rural, with 10 of the 14 public schools located in rural settings. Russell County Public Schools is the dominant provider, enrolling 3,375 students across 13 schools. The largest individual facility is Lebanon High, which serves 606 students in grades 8 through 12. The county maintains an average school size of 307 students, significantly smaller than more urbanized Virginia districts. The composite school score for the county stands at 53.1, slightly trailing the state average of 54.1 but remaining above the national median of 50.0. 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

in Russell County

Reported Enrollment

3,375

11 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle1

High3

Other3

2 School Districts in Russell County

Russell County Public Schools

PROJECT BRIDGE/RUSSELL CO

1 school

0 students

14 Public Schools in Russell 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

Sort

Showing 14 of 14 matching schools

Public schools in Russell County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LEBANON HIGH	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24266Rural: Fringe	8–12	High	606
Honaker Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Honaker, 24260Rural: Distant	PK–7	Primary	579
HONAKER HIGH	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Honaker, 24260Rural: Distant	8–12	High	435
CASTLEWOOD HIGH	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Castlewood, 24224Rural: Distant	8–12	High	314
Lebanon Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24266Town: Distant	2–4	Primary	307
LEBANON MIDDLE	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24266Rural: Fringe	5–7	Middle	291
LEBANON PRIMARY	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24266Rural: Fringe	PK–1	Primary	238
Castlewood Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Castlewood, 24224Rural: Distant	2–7	Primary	237
Belfast Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Rosedale, 24280Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	140
Copper Creek Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Castlewood, 24224Rural: Distant	PK–1	Primary	122
Swords Creek Elementary	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Swords Creek, 24649Rural: Distant	PK–7	Primary	106
PROJECT BRIDGE/RUSSELL CO	Record	PROJECT BRIDGE/RUSSELL CO	Lebanon, 24266Town: Distant	—	Alternative	—
RUSSELL COUNTY VOC.	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24266Town: Distant	—	Vocational	—
STEM FOR LIFE GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY	Record	Russell County Public Schools	Lebanon, 24244Town: Distant	—	Vocational	—

LEBANON HIGH

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24266 / Rural: Fringe

Record8–12High606 students

Honaker Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Honaker, 24260 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–7Primary579 students

HONAKER HIGH

Russell County Public Schools

Honaker, 24260 / Rural: Distant

Record8–12High435 students

CASTLEWOOD HIGH

Russell County Public Schools

Castlewood, 24224 / Rural: Distant

Record8–12High314 students

Lebanon Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24266 / Town: Distant

Record2–4Primary307 students

LEBANON MIDDLE

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24266 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–7Middle291 students

LEBANON PRIMARY

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24266 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–1Primary238 students

Castlewood Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Castlewood, 24224 / Rural: Distant

Record2–7Primary237 students

Belfast Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Rosedale, 24280 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary140 students

Copper Creek Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Castlewood, 24224 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–1Primary122 students

Swords Creek Elementary

Russell County Public Schools

Swords Creek, 24649 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–7Primary106 students

PROJECT BRIDGE/RUSSELL CO

Lebanon, 24266 / Town: Distant

RecordAlternativeEnrollment not available

RUSSELL COUNTY VOC.

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24266 / Town: Distant

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

STEM FOR LIFE GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY

Russell County Public Schools

Lebanon, 24244 / Town: Distant

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,022

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Russell 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 Russell County?

Russell County has a school score of 53/100, 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 Russell County?

The high school graduation rate in Russell County is 92.0%, which is above 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 Russell County spend per student?

Russell County spends $7,022 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

Greene County

Virginia

+0 pts

53/100

School score

Harrisonburg city

Virginia

+0 pts

53/100

School score

Montgomery County

Virginia

-0 pts

53/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 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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