Is Union High a good school?

Union High ranks 55 th of 329 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Union High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 567 students attended Union High.

What is the racial makeup of Union High?

Students at Union High are 90% White, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Union High?

Union High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Coeburn Primary Elementary : J.W. Adams Combined Elementary : St. Paul Elementary Elementary : Union Primary Elementary : Wise Primary Middle : Coeburn Middle Middle : L.F. Addington Middle Middle : Union Middle

Union High

Summary:

Union High is a public high school located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 601 students. The school is part of the Wise County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2 out of 130 districts in Virginia and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Union High consistently performs above the state average in most subject areas, with particularly strong results in Algebra II (100% proficiency) and Writing (92.23% proficiency). The school's performance on the SOL (Standards of Learning) tests is generally higher than the Wise County Public Schools district average and the state average. Union High has a strong track record of high rankings in the state, with a peak ranking of 27th out of 324 Virginia high schools in the 2016-2017 school year. The school's male students, low socioeconomic status students, and disabled students all perform exceptionally well, ranking among the top schools in Virginia.

While Union High has a higher percentage of white students (89.68%) compared to the surrounding schools, the diversity within the school has increased over the past few years. The school's academic excellence is not always seen in the surrounding schools, such as Gate City High and the smaller, more rural schools like Twin Springs High, Eastside High, and Rye Cove High. However, another school in the Wise County Public Schools district, Central High, outperforms Union High in several subject areas and has a higher overall state ranking.

Detail:

Public 9-12

322 Powell Valley Road
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219

(276) 523-1290

District: Wise County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
55^th of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,464

Feeder schools for Union High:

Elementary:	Coeburn Primary
	J.W. Adams Combined
	St. Paul Elementary
	Union Primary
	More...
	Wise Primary
Middle:	Coeburn Middle
	L.F. Addington Middle
	Union Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 567

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.8%

African American:

4.6%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.4%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Union High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Union High ranks better than 83.3% of high schools in Virginia. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Wise County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.8. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Union High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.8%), African American (4.6%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Wise County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union High is 15.1, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Wise County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Union High employs 37.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union High is $6,464. 1 high schools in the Wise County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Union High 55^th of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See Union High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Wise County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wise County Public Schools 2^nd of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Union High?

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Rank History for Union High

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Rank History for all students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	44.14	197^th	308	36.0%
2006	58.62	87^th	314	72.3%
2007	45.18	181^st	313	42.2%
2008	56.08	117^th	316	63.0%
2009	53.77	126^th	313	59.7%
2010	66.22	59^th	317	81.4%
2011	60.06	104^th	320	67.5%
2012	57.63	103^rd	321	67.9%
2013	66.96	61^st	321	81.0%
2014	57.35	99^th	322	69.3%
2015	71.35	40^th	322	87.6%
2016	67.40	57^th	321	82.2%
2017	72.94	27^th	324	91.7%
2018	61.92	81^st	326	75.2%
2019	62.43	83^rd	327	74.6%
2021	43.68	173^rd	327	47.1%
2022	73.57	28^th	325	91.4%
2023	72.90	66^th	326	79.8%
2024	74.80	55^th	329	83.3%

See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	81.00	27^th	320	91.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	63.88	117^th	320	63.4%
2024	63.33	127^th	322	60.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	73.46	38^th	249	84.7%
2024	79.45	32^nd	253	87.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	79.86	26^th	321	91.9%
2024	85.32	8^th	322	97.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Union High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.99	124^th	315	60.6%
2024	67.66	83^rd	314	73.6%

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 Union 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	641	641
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	681	681
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	690	690
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	693	693
1993	677	24	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	708
1994	649	24	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	681
1995	605	26	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	637
1996	605	26	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	637
1997	629	31	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	666
1998	573	31	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
1999	568	34	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
2000	560	22	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	-4	581
2001	527	19	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	548
2002	499	10	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
2003	499	10	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
2004	474	5	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
2005	480	8	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	489
2006	465	17	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	488
2007	503	19	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	527
2008	517	21	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	542
2009	527	20	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	1	554
2010	521	16	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	542
2011	501	21	1	3	2	0	0	0	528
2012	650	22	1	4	2	0	0	0	679
2013	613	21	1	4	1	0	1	0	641
2014	618	27	3	6	2	0	4	0	660
2015	621	19	3	5	2	0	4	0	654
2016	638	22	5	5	0	0	4	0	674
2017	659	19	4	7	0	0	8	0	697
2018	648	20	3	5	0	0	2	0	678
2019	593	22	2	4	1	0	3	0	625
2020	550	21	1	5	1	0	7	0	585
2021	492	23	2	7	0	1	9	0	534
2022	530	23	2	6	0	1	14	0	576
2023	539	22	1	21	0	1	17	0	601
2024	509	26	1	13	0	1	17	0	567

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 Union High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	641	33.9	18.9	n/a
1990	681	35.0	19.4	n/a
1991	690	34.7	19.8	n/a
1992	693	35.3	19.6	n/a
1993	708	38.0	18.6	n/a
1994	681	62.0	n/a	27
1995	637	n/a	0.0	17.1
1996	637	n/a	0.0	17.1
1997	666	n/a	0.0	13.1
1998	608	n/a	0.0	14
1999	605	38.0	15.9	16.2
2000	581	n/a	0.0	20.2
2001	548	36.6	15.0	23.4
2002	511	45.0	11.4	30.3
2003	511	45.0	11.4	30.3
2004	480	39.0	12.3	32.3
2005	489	37.0	13.2	36.8
2006	488	38.0	12.8	42.3
2007	527	36.4	14.5	44.4
2008	542	33.7	16.1	44.2
2009	554	34.0	16.3	43.9
2010	542	33.8	16.0	43.2
2011	528	30.1	17.5	45.1
2012	679	48.1	14.1	51.5
2013	641	41.4	15.4	50.7
2014	660	40.9	16.1	55
2015	654	40.0	16.3	52
2016	674	40.0	16.8	50.7
2017	697	39.7	17.5	50.9
2018	678	39.6	17.1	52.7
2019	625	38.0	16.4	83.7
2020	585	36.4	16.0	83.1
2021	534	37.5	14.2	n/a
2022	576	40.1	14.3	84.4
2023	601	38.0	15.8	85.5
2024	567	37.5	15.1	88.4

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 Union High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	641	33.9	18.9	n/a
1990	681	35.0	19.4	n/a
1991	690	34.7	19.8	n/a
1992	693	35.3	19.6	n/a
1993	708	38.0	18.6	n/a
1994	681	62.0	n/a	27
1995	637	n/a	0.0	17.1
1996	637	n/a	0.0	17.1
1997	666	n/a	0.0	13.1
1998	608	n/a	0.0	14
1999	605	38.0	15.9	16.2
2000	581	n/a	0.0	20.2
2001	548	36.6	15.0	23.4
2002	511	45.0	11.4	30.3
2003	511	45.0	11.4	30.3
2004	480	39.0	12.3	32.3
2005	489	37.0	13.2	36.8
2006	488	38.0	12.8	42.3
2007	527	36.4	14.5	44.4
2008	542	33.7	16.1	44.2
2009	554	34.0	16.3	43.9
2010	542	33.8	16.0	43.2
2011	528	30.1	17.5	45.1
2012	679	48.1	14.1	51.5
2013	641	41.4	15.4	50.7
2014	660	40.9	16.1	55
2015	654	40.0	16.3	52
2016	674	40.0	16.8	50.7
2017	697	39.7	17.5	50.9
2018	678	39.6	17.1	52.7
2019	625	38.0	16.4	83.7
2020	585	36.4	16.0	83.1
2021	534	37.5	14.2	n/a
2022	576	40.1	14.3	84.4
2023	601	38.0	15.8	85.5
2024	567	37.5	15.1	88.4

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 Union High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$5,440 (100.0%)	$5,440
2020	$01 (0.0%)	$5,820 (100.0%)	$5,821
2021	$01 (0.0%)	$6,462 (100.0%)	$6,464

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union 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 83^rd of 327 High schools	Ranks 66^th of 326 High schools	5.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Union High)	92	87	5%
End of Course Algebra I (Wise County Public Schools)	94	94
End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)	86	80	6%
End of Course Algebra II (Union High)	99	98	1%
End of Course Algebra II (Wise County Public Schools)	99	97	2%
End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)	91	86	5%
End of Course Biology (Union High)	84	78	6%
End of Course Biology (Wise County Public Schools)	91	81	10%
End of Course Biology (Virginia)	83	70	13%
End of Course English Reading (Union High)	82	90	8%
End of Course English Reading (Wise County Public Schools)	85	88	3%
End of Course English Reading (Virginia)	86	85	1%
End of Course World History I (Union High)	93	76	17%
End of Course World History I (Wise County Public Schools)	91	78	13%
End of Course World History I (Virginia)	80	66	14%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	625	601	3.8%
African American	22	22
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	4	21	425%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	593	539	9.1%
Two or More Races	3	17	466.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.7%	85.5%	1.8%

Schools Near Union 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 Geography (2024)			SOL VA and US History (2024)	SOL World History I (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 Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Union High	Public	9-12	322 Powell Valley Road	Big Stone Gap	24219	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 523-1290	567	38	15.1	88.4%	509 (89.8%)	26 (4.6%)	13 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.0%)	74.8	55^th of 329 public high schools	83.3%		72.9	66^th of 326 public high schools	79.8%	11	92.2			92.7		100.0		86.1					86.5					18.2	86.6		$6,464	$01	$6,462
J.I. Burton High	Public	8-12	109 11th St	Norton	24273	Norton city	Norton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 679-2554	316	24	13.1	98.4%	271 (85.8%)	17 (5.4%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.7%)	73.4	62^nd of 329 public high schools	81.2%		72.4	68^th of 326 public high schools	79.1%	6	94.4	84.6	100.0	94.3		92.3	63.6	89.5	70.8	76.2		84.9	95.7		96.3	61.1					$8,421	$00	$8,421
Central High	Public	9-12	5000 Warrior Drive	Norton	24273	Norton city	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 328-8015	663	40	16.5	87.8%	629 (94.9%)	9 (1.4%)	10 (1.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.5%)	83.3	10^th of 329 public high schools	97.0%		80.9	16^th of 326 public high schools	95.1%	6	94.7			96.7	90.0	98.0		90.5					93.2	61.5					84.4		$5,947	$118	$5,829
Rye Cove High	Public	8-12	164 Eagles Nest Lane	Duffield	24244	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 940-2701	308	23	13.2	77.9%	287 (93.2%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	73.4	63^rd of 329 public high schools	80.9%		57.9	154^th of 326 public high schools	52.8%	91				93.2			79.3	76.1	71.0			70.7	93.3			76.9		58.3			$8,818	$788	$8,030
Eastside High	Public	9-12	314 School House Hill Dr	Coeburn	24230	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 395-3389	394	25	15.5	87.8%	377 (95.7%)	4 (1.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	75.8	49^th of 329 public high schools	85.1%		76.1	45^th of 326 public high schools	86.2%	4	93.1	100.0		89.8	72.7			86.3					96.6						64.0	62.5	$7,288	$03	$7,286
Twin Springs High	Public	8-12	273 Titan Lane	Nickelsville	24271	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 479-2185	242	24	10.2	77.3%	223 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	69.1	93^rd of 329 public high schools	71.7%		64.2	123^rd of 326 public high schools	62.3%	30				95.1			66.7	80.4	61.4	100.0		70.5	88.2			61.0					$10,755	$158	$10,598
Gate City High	Public	9-12	178 Harry Fry Dr.	Gate City	24251	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 386-7522	601	42	14.3	78.4%	568 (94.5%)	6 (1.0%)	14 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	79.3	26^th of 329 public high schools	92.1%		74.3	54^th of 326 public high schools	83.4%	28				93.9				87.2			69.2		90.5			85.1	50.0				$6,038	$138	$5,900

Union High

Union High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Wise County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Union High

Rank History for all students at Union High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union High

Rank History for Female students at Union High

Rank History for Disabled students at Union High

Rank History for Male students at Union High

Rank History for White students at Union High

Enrollment information for Union High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Union High

Student/Teacher Ratio Union High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Union High

Impact of COVID-19 on Union High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Union High

Union High

J.I. Burton High

Central High

Rye Cove High

Eastside High

Twin Springs High

Gate City High

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