Is Essex High a good school?

Essex High ranks 153 rd of 329 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Essex High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 514 students attended Essex High.

What is the racial makeup of Essex High?

Students at Essex High are 55% African American, 29% White, 8% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Essex High?

Essex High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Tappahannock Elementary Middle : James H. Cary Intermediate

Essex High

Summary:

Essex High is a public high school located in Tappahannock, Virginia, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 514. The school is part of the Richmond County Public Schools district, which is ranked 91 out of 130 districts in Virginia and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key differences between Essex High and the nearby schools, such as King William High, Central High, and Rappahannock High, is the racial makeup of the student population. Essex High has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (54.86%) compared to the majority white student population at the nearby schools. Additionally, Essex High has consistently ranked in the bottom third of Virginia high schools, with lower academic performance and test scores compared to the state and district averages. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching over 100% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

These findings suggest that there may be systemic challenges at Essex High that require a deeper examination of the school's resources, curriculum, and teaching practices. The stark contrast in racial makeup and academic performance between Essex High and the nearby schools also highlights the need to address potential issues with equity and access to educational opportunities for the predominantly African American student population at Essex High. Addressing these challenges will be crucial in improving the educational outcomes for the students at this school.

Detail:

Public 9-12

833 High School Circle
Tappahannock, VA 22560

(804) 443-4301

District: Essex County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
153^rd of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,254

Feeder schools for Essex High:

Elementary:	Tappahannock Elementary
Middle:	James H. Cary Intermediate

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 514

Racial breakdown:

African American:

54.9%

White:

29.4%

Two or more races:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100.8%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Essex High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Essex High is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.14. (See more...)

Compare Details Essex High ranks better than 53.5% of high schools in Virginia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.4. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Essex High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Essex High is $6,254.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Essex High:

SchoolDigger ranks Essex High 153^rd of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See Essex High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Essex County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Essex County Public Schools 91^st of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Essex High?

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Rank History for Essex High

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Rank History for all middle school students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile
2019	8.48	408^th	424	3.8%
2021	5.31	411^th	419	1.9%
2022	46.37	216^th	415	48.0%
2023	34.14	301^st	422	28.7%

See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.48	270^th	411	34.3%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.99	333^rd	409	18.6%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.23	194^th	298	34.9%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.99	227^th	402	43.5%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Essex High

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Rank History for all high school students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	32.89	259^th	308	15.9%
2006	22.03	291^st	314	7.3%
2007	23.94	288^th	313	8.0%
2008	22.24	293^rd	316	7.3%
2009	19.00	303^rd	313	3.2%
2010	14.15	307^th	317	3.2%
2011	12.35	310^th	320	3.1%
2012	18.15	299^th	321	6.9%
2013	20.28	294^th	321	8.4%
2014	10.09	314^th	322	2.5%
2015	8.46	319^th	322	0.9%
2016	17.76	302^nd	321	5.9%
2017	11.49	315^th	324	2.8%
2018	12.10	316^th	326	3.1%
2019	16.68	313^th	327	4.3%
2021	24.63	264^th	327	19.3%
2022	28.86	270^th	325	16.9%
2023	30.46	278^th	326	14.7%
2024	58.40	153^rd	329	53.5%

See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	65.25	88^th	320	72.5%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.28	271^st	320	15.3%
2024	59.27	150^th	322	53.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.55	261^st	321	18.7%
2024	49.76	184^th	322	42.9%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	36.33	177^th	240	26.3%
2024	62.65	83^rd	249	66.7%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Essex High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.61	208^th	315	34.0%
2024	53.63	174^th	314	44.6%

See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Essex High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	557	557
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	551	551
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	572	572
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	576	576
1993	306	323	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	633
1994	321	284	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	607
1995	308	284	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	595
1996	308	284	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	595
1997	290	292	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	587
1998	306	280	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	-2	585
1999	252	232	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
2000	241	233	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	-4	471
2001	250	254	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	505
2002	255	260	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
2003	255	260	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
2004	257	275	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	537
2005	232	279	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	3	521
2006	240	271	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	2	522
2007	247	299	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	557
2008	243	313	0	12	1	n/a	n/a	1	570
2009	223	296	0	9	2	n/a	n/a	2	532
2010	212	290	0	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	515
2011	201	245	1	18	1	0	31	0	497
2012	195	228	3	13	1	0	32	0	472
2013	197	236	5	24	0	0	28	0	490
2014	204	224	6	20	0	0	18	0	472
2015	197	227	5	18	1	0	28	0	476
2016	184	217	4	20	1	0	30	0	456
2017	163	203	6	17	1	0	33	0	423
2018	199	274	5	26	2	0	43	0	549
2019	189	256	6	27	1	0	44	0	523
2020	181	270	8	24	2	0	44	0	529
2021	176	267	8	16	3	0	40	0	510
2022	160	269	6	25	3	0	45	0	508
2023	151	282	8	28	2	0	43	0	514

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Essex High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	557	42.7	13.0	n/a
1990	551	39.4	13.9	n/a
1991	572	41.7	13.7	n/a
1992	576	42.5	13.5	n/a
1993	633	38.3	16.5	n/a
1994	607	51.7	n/a	19.3
1995	595	n/a	0.0	21.3
1996	595	n/a	0.0	21.3
1997	587	n/a	0.0	20.8
1998	585	n/a	0.0	23.7
1999	485	50.5	9.6	21.9
2000	471	n/a	0.0	27.6
2001	505	43.0	11.7	32.5
2002	518	47.0	11.0	28.8
2003	518	47.0	11.0	28.8
2004	537	45.0	11.9	85.7
2005	521	45.0	11.6	36.5
2006	522	39.0	13.4	51
2007	557	35.1	15.9	41
2008	570	30.3	18.8	50.8
2009	532	29.2	18.2	66.6
2010	515	30.2	17.0	52.2
2011	497	28.2	17.5	67.2
2012	472	42.3	11.1	56.1
2013	490	39.9	12.2	59
2014	472	35.2	13.3	66.3
2015	476	39.0	12.2	57.4
2016	456	38.0	12.0	55.7
2017	423	37.6	11.2	66.9
2018	549	43.5	12.6	61.2
2019	523	46.5	11.2	54.7
2020	529	46.7	11.3	60.3
2021	510	47.2	10.8	n/a
2022	508	40.1	12.6	62.8
2023	514	37.0	13.8	100.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Essex High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	557	42.7	13.0	n/a
1990	551	39.4	13.9	n/a
1991	572	41.7	13.7	n/a
1992	576	42.5	13.5	n/a
1993	633	38.3	16.5	n/a
1994	607	51.7	n/a	19.3
1995	595	n/a	0.0	21.3
1996	595	n/a	0.0	21.3
1997	587	n/a	0.0	20.8
1998	585	n/a	0.0	23.7
1999	485	50.5	9.6	21.9
2000	471	n/a	0.0	27.6
2001	505	43.0	11.7	32.5
2002	518	47.0	11.0	28.8
2003	518	47.0	11.0	28.8
2004	537	45.0	11.9	85.7
2005	521	45.0	11.6	36.5
2006	522	39.0	13.4	51
2007	557	35.1	15.9	41
2008	570	30.3	18.8	50.8
2009	532	29.2	18.2	66.6
2010	515	30.2	17.0	52.2
2011	497	28.2	17.5	67.2
2012	472	42.3	11.1	56.1
2013	490	39.9	12.2	59
2014	472	35.2	13.3	66.3
2015	476	39.0	12.2	57.4
2016	456	38.0	12.0	55.7
2017	423	37.6	11.2	66.9
2018	549	43.5	12.6	61.2
2019	523	46.5	11.2	54.7
2020	529	46.7	11.3	60.3
2021	510	47.2	10.8	n/a
2022	508	40.1	12.6	62.8
2023	514	37.0	13.8	100.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Essex High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$308 (3.7%)	$8,075 (96.3%)	$8,384
2020	$1,831 (19.3%)	$7,676 (80.7%)	$9,507
2021	$134 (2.1%)	$6,121 (97.9%)	$6,254

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Essex High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 408^th of 424 Middle schools	Ranks 301^st of 422 Middle schools	24.9%
Ranks 313^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 278^th of 326 High schools	10.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Writing (Essex High)	52	38.4	13.6%
8th Grade Writing (Essex County Public Schools)	52	38.4	13.6%
8th Grade Writing (Virginia)	70	55.5	14.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Essex High)	43	75.3	32.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Essex County Public Schools)	52	75.3	23.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	77	48.4	28.6%
8th Grade Science (Essex High)	63	49.4	13.6%
8th Grade Science (Essex County Public Schools)	63	49.4	13.6%
8th Grade Science (Virginia)	78	60.7	17.3%
8th Grade English Reading (Essex High)	57	61.5	4.5%
8th Grade English Reading (Essex County Public Schools)	57	61.5	4.5%
8th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	76	70.7	5.3%
End of Course Geometry (Essex High)	52	63	11%
End of Course Geometry (Essex County Public Schools)	52	63	11%
End of Course Geometry (Virginia)	83	80	3%
End of Course Algebra I (Essex High)	63	83	20%
End of Course Algebra I (Essex County Public Schools)	68	82	14%
End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)	86	80	6%
End of Course Algebra II (Essex High)	93	40	53%
End of Course Algebra II (Essex County Public Schools)	93	40	53%
End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)	91	86	5%
End of Course Biology (Essex High)	62	48	14%
End of Course Biology (Essex County Public Schools)	62	47	15%
End of Course Biology (Virginia)	83	70	13%
End of Course English Reading (Essex High)	78	73	5%
End of Course English Reading (Essex County Public Schools)	78	73	5%
End of Course English Reading (Virginia)	86	85	1%
End of Course VA and US History (Essex High)	55	40	15%
End of Course VA and US History (Essex County Public Schools)	55	40	15%
End of Course VA and US History (Virginia)	68	38	30%
End of Course World History II (Essex High)	52	57	5%
End of Course World History II (Virginia)	81	48	33%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	523	514	1.7%
African American	256	282	10.2%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	6	8	33.3%
Hispanic	27	28	3.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	189	151	20.1%
Two or More Races	44	43	2.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	54.7%	100.8%	46.1%

Schools Near Essex High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Writing (2024)		SOL Geometry (2024)		SOL Algebra I (2024)					SOL Algebra II (2024)	SOL Mathematics (2024)	SOL Biology (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL Earth Science (2024)			SOL English Reading (2024)			SOL VA and US History (2024)	SOL World History I (2024)			SOL World History II (2024)	SOL Civics and Economics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Essex High	Public	9-12	833 High School Circle	Tappahannock	22560	Essex County	Essex County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 443-4301	514	37	13.8	100.8%	151 (29.4%)	282 (54.9%)	28 (5.4%)	8 (1.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.4%)	58.4	153^rd of 329 public high schools	53.5%		30.5	278^th of 326 public high schools	14.7%	125						91.0			100.0				69.5	94.4							87.8	33.3		60.5				$6,254	$134	$6,121
Rappahannock High	Public	8-12	6914 Richmond Rd	Warsaw	22572	Richmond County	Richmond County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 333-3551	525	37	14.1	74.7%	320 (61.0%)	107 (20.4%)	74 (14.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	57	160^th of 329 public high schools	51.4%		50.4	185^th of 326 public high schools	43.3%	25			100.0	94.7	95.8	76.5	84.6	100.0		100.0	33.3		73.9		63.7					75.5	81.7			84.2	100.0	0.0	78.2	$7,769	$428	$7,341
Westmoreland High	Public	9-12	16762 Kings Highway	Montross	22520	Westmoreland County	Westmoreland County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 493-8019	486	37	13.1	100.0%	167 (34.4%)	186 (38.3%)	103 (21.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	38.6	247^th of 329 public high schools	24.9%		29.6	284^th of 326 public high schools	12.9%	37				83.3		74.1	88.9						66.1			80.7		70.0			73.0	36.5
Central High	Public	7-12	17024 The Trail	King and Queen Court House	23085	King and Queen County	King and Queen County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 785-6102	273	30	9.0	104.8%	127 (46.5%)	88 (32.2%)	19 (7.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (13.6%)	27.4	298^th of 329 public high schools	9.4%		34.6	258^th of 326 public high schools	20.9%	40	69.4				87.5	50.0					16.0				57.5				67.7	86.7	84.0		85.7	42.3				$12,849	$314	$12,535
King William High	Public	9-12	80 Cavalier Drive	King William	23086	King William County	King William County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 769-3434	696	49	14.3	34.6%	531 (76.3%)	110 (15.8%)	19 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	39.6	243^rd of 329 public high schools	26.1%		51.3	181^st of 326 public high schools	44.5%	62	72.7	73.7		84.2		84.4	62.5			100.0		60.3					32.0				85.4			66.7				$8,075	$441	$7,634

Essex High

Essex High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Essex County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Essex High

Rank History for all middle school students at Essex High

Rank History for middle school Female students at Essex High

Rank History for middle school Male students at Essex High

Rank History for middle school African American students at Essex High

Rank History for middle school White students at Essex High

Rank History for Essex High

Rank History for all high school students at Essex High

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Essex High

Rank History for high school Female students at Essex High

Rank History for high school Male students at Essex High

Rank History for high school African American students at Essex High

Rank History for high school White students at Essex High

Enrollment information for Essex High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Essex High

Student/Teacher Ratio Essex High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Essex High

Impact of COVID-19 on Essex High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Essex High

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex High

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