Essex County School District

109 N Cross St
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Essex County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Virginia for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 10%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public high school serving 393 students in Essex County School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Virginia.
Public High School in Essex County School District have an average math proficiency score of 72% (versus the Virginia public high school average of 68%), and reading proficiency score of 62% (versus the 81% statewide average).
Public High School in Essex County School District have a Graduation Rate of 92%, which is more than the Virginia average of 89%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Essex High School, with 90-94% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Virginia or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 74% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
3 Schools
358 Schools
# Students
1,092 Students
409,548 Students
# Teachers
88 Teachers
28,795 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Essex County School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 131 school districts in Virginia (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 92% has increased from 90-94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (VA)
#106 out of 132 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
60%
68%
(20-21)
55%
69%
(20-21)
25-29%
59%
92%
89%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.63
0.72
% American Indian
1%
n/a
% Asian
2%
8%
% Hispanic
6%
20%
% Black
54%
22%
% White
25%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,897 is higher than the state median of $15,513. The school district revenue/student has grown by 23% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $17,342 is higher than the state median of $15,268. The school district spending/student has grown by 24% over four school years.
This School District
This State (VA)
Total Revenue
$19 MM
$19,496 MM
Spending
$19 MM
$19,187 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,897
$15,513
Spending / Student
$17,342
$15,268

Best Essex County School District Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Essex High School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
833 High School Circle
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(804) 443-4301
Gr: 9-12 | 393 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 74%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 1,092 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 75%
  • : 92% (Top 10% in VA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 60% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55% (Btm 50%)
  • : 25-29% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), VA Dept. of Education

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