Union Middle

Summary:

Union Middle is a public middle school located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 583 students. This 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 Middle consistently performs above the state and district averages in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school achieved 100% proficiency in Algebra I for 8th grade, significantly higher than the state average of 92.08%. Union Middle also excels in mathematics, with 80% or more of students proficient or better in grades 5-8, outperforming the state and district averages. In English Reading, the school's proficiency rates range from 80.6% to 87.5% across grades 5-8, again surpassing the state and district averages. Union Middle's performance is particularly noteworthy for specific student subgroups, with male students, low socioeconomic status (SES) students, and disabled students all ranking in the top 25% of Virginia middle schools.

Despite serving a more economically disadvantaged population, with 88.85% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and having a higher student-teacher ratio of 12.9, Union Middle's academic performance remains exceptional. This is in contrast to nearby schools like Coeburn Middle and L.F. Addington Middle, which have slightly more diverse student populations and lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Union Middle's ability to achieve these outstanding results is a testament to the dedication and effectiveness of its educators, as well as the efficient allocation of resources within the Wise County Public Schools district.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 3137 Second Avenue East
       Big Stone Gap, VA  24219


(276) 523-0195

District: Wise County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
53rd of 417 Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,232 Help


Students who attend Union Middle usually attend:

High:    Central High
    Eastside High
    Union High

Feeder schools for Union Middle:

Elementary:    Coeburn Primary
    J.W. Adams Combined
    St. Paul Elementary
    Union Primary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  12.9 Help
Number of students:  583

Racial breakdown:

White:
93.0%
African American:
3.1%
Two or more races:
2.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  88.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Union Middle ranks better than 87.3% of middle schools in Virginia. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Wise County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.81. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Union Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Wise County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Middle is $6,232, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Wise County Public Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Middle 53rd of 417 Virginia public middle schools. (See Union Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle 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 2nd of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Union Middle

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Rank History for all students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 49.85 211th 340 37.9%
2006 42.68 245th 383 36.0%
2007 49.63 198th 387 48.8%
2008 50.31 200th 391 48.8%
2009 39.22 264th 390 32.3%
2010 32.97 320th 408 21.6%
2011 47.18 230th 413 44.3%
2012 59.47 121st 413 70.7%
2013 53.48 159th 416 61.8%
2014 70.33 74th 416 82.2%
2015 72.57 67th 412 83.7%
2016 66.22 97th 409 76.3%
2017 72.42 66th 415 84.1%
2018 65.38 100th 413 75.8%
2019 62.94 136th 424 67.9%
2021 53.13 172nd 419 58.9%
2022 60.28 146th 415 64.8%
2023 80.02 55th 422 87.0%
2024 80.81 53rd 417 87.3%
See the entire list of Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 88.80 17th 402 95.8%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 79.43 55th 411 86.6%
2024 77.16 63rd 407 84.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 80.95 35th 278 87.4%
2024 87.65 15th 281 94.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 79.73 55th 409 86.6%
2024 82.97 32nd 407 92.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Union Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 67.37 115th 402 71.4%
2024 66.90 116th 396 70.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle 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.

Union Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Union Middle

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Compare
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 713 713
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 703 703
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 688 688
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 706 706
1993 648 26 7 2 0 n/a n/a 0 683
1994 603 27 5 0 0 n/a n/a 0 635
1995 580 22 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 607
1996 580 22 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 607
1997 573 18 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 595
1998 552 18 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 571
1999 521 8 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 529
2000 492 5 0 0 0 n/a n/a -4 493
2001 478 7 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 486
2002 504 19 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 528
2003 504 19 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 528
2004 525 22 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 551
2005 531 21 1 2 0 n/a n/a 1 556
2006 520 16 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 539
2007 482 20 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 506
2008 464 16 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2009 476 19 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 500
2010 486 25 2 5 0 n/a n/a 2 520
2011 482 16 1 4 1 0 2 0 506
2012 507 18 3 3 0 0 2 0 533
2013 516 17 2 2 0 0 2 0 539
2014 513 16 2 2 1 0 1 0 535
2015 473 20 3 2 1 1 2 0 502
2016 465 19 3 3 1 2 3 0 496
2017 421 18 3 4 1 1 2 0 450
2018 558 27 2 6 1 1 11 0 606
2019 558 23 1 9 0 1 9 0 601
2020 560 27 1 6 0 1 14 0 609
2021 591 23 0 4 0 0 16 0 634
2022 549 15 0 7 0 1 14 0 586
2023 542 18 0 9 1 1 12 0 583

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 Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 713 36.3 19.6 n/a
1990 703 35.5 19.8 n/a
1991 688 36.4 18.9 n/a
1992 706 37.1 19.0 n/a
1993 683 38.2 17.9 n/a
1994 635 31.7 n/a n/a
1995 607 n/a 0.0 34.3
1996 607 n/a 0.0 34.3
1997 595 n/a 0.0 36.1
1998 571 n/a 0.0 34.3
1999 529 36.0 14.7 41.4
2000 493 n/a 0.0 40.2
2001 486 34.6 14.0 40.3
2002 528 45.8 11.5 45.1
2003 528 45.8 11.5 45.1
2004 551 44.8 12.3 52.8
2005 556 37.8 14.7 49.7
2006 539 42.0 12.8 49.9
2007 506 35.6 14.2 47.2
2008 484 30.3 16.0 50.6
2009 500 32.2 15.5 48.2
2010 520 33.5 15.5 53.7
2011 506 32.6 15.4 52.8
2012 533 39.9 13.3 52.2
2013 539 38.9 13.8 54.9
2014 535 37.0 14.4 55.5
2015 502 37.0 13.5 55.4
2016 496 38.0 13.0 56.5
2017 450 35.2 12.7 56.2
2018 606 41.0 14.7 84.7
2019 601 42.5 14.1 87.7
2020 609 42.9 14.1 87
2021 634 41.7 15.1 n/a
2022 586 48.0 12.1 90.4
2023 583 45.0 12.9 88.9

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 Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 713 36.3 19.6 n/a
1990 703 35.5 19.8 n/a
1991 688 36.4 18.9 n/a
1992 706 37.1 19.0 n/a
1993 683 38.2 17.9 n/a
1994 635 31.7 n/a n/a
1995 607 n/a 0.0 34.3
1996 607 n/a 0.0 34.3
1997 595 n/a 0.0 36.1
1998 571 n/a 0.0 34.3
1999 529 36.0 14.7 41.4
2000 493 n/a 0.0 40.2
2001 486 34.6 14.0 40.3
2002 528 45.8 11.5 45.1
2003 528 45.8 11.5 45.1
2004 551 44.8 12.3 52.8
2005 556 37.8 14.7 49.7
2006 539 42.0 12.8 49.9
2007 506 35.6 14.2 47.2
2008 484 30.3 16.0 50.6
2009 500 32.2 15.5 48.2
2010 520 33.5 15.5 53.7
2011 506 32.6 15.4 52.8
2012 533 39.9 13.3 52.2
2013 539 38.9 13.8 54.9
2014 535 37.0 14.4 55.5
2015 502 37.0 13.5 55.4
2016 496 38.0 13.0 56.5
2017 450 35.2 12.7 56.2
2018 606 41.0 14.7 84.7
2019 601 42.5 14.1 87.7
2020 609 42.9 14.1 87
2021 634 41.7 15.1 n/a
2022 586 48.0 12.1 90.4
2023 583 45.0 12.9 88.9

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 Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $195 (3.3%) $5,684 (96.7%) $5,879
2020 $226 (3.8%) $5,773 (96.2%) $5,998
2021 $148 (2.4%) $6,085 (97.6%) $6,232

Data source: Virginia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Middle

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 136th of 424 Middle schoolsRanks 55th of 422 Middle schools
 19%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade Mathematics (Union Middle)9083.7
 6.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wise County Public Schools)9486.3
 7.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Union Middle)8584.7
 0.3%
   5th Grade Science (Wise County Public Schools)8983.1
 5.9%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Union Middle)8182.4
 1.3%
   5th Grade English Reading (Wise County Public Schools)8482.5
 1.5%
   5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7871.4
 6.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Union Middle)9084.7
 5.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Wise County Public Schools)9388.1
 4.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7857.8
 20.2%
6th Grade English Reading (Union Middle)8284
 2%
   6th Grade English Reading (Wise County Public Schools)8787.1
 0.1%
   6th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7770.4
 6.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Union Middle)7673.8
 2.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Wise County Public Schools)8885.3
 2.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7851.4
 26.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Union Middle)7878.8
 0.8%
   7th Grade English Reading (Wise County Public Schools)8484.7
 0.7%
   7th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7970.3
 8.7%
8th Grade Writing (Union Middle)7670.2
 5.8%
   8th Grade Writing (Wise County Public Schools)7673.9
 2.1%
   8th Grade Writing (Virginia)7055.5
 14.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Union Middle)8771
 16%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Wise County Public Schools)9380.7
 12.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7748.4
 28.6%
8th Grade Science (Union Middle)8669.3
 16.7%
   8th Grade Science (Wise County Public Schools)8880.4
 7.7%
   8th Grade Science (Virginia)7860.7
 17.3%
8th Grade English Reading (Union Middle)8080.9
 0.8%
   8th Grade English Reading (Wise County Public Schools)8484.5
 0.5%
   8th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7670.7
 5.3%
End of Course Algebra I (Union Middle)100100
   End of Course Algebra I (Wise County Public Schools)9494
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students601583
 3%
African American2318
 21.7%
American Indian01
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic99
Pacific Islander11
White558542
 2.9%
Two or More Races912
 33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.7%88.9%
 1.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Union Middle

Students who attend Union Middle usually go on to attend Central High

Students at Union Middle are 93% White, 3% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Union Middle ranks 53rd of 417 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 583 students attended Union Middle.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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