Bland County Public Schools

Bland County Public Schools is a small, rural Virginia district of just two schools—Bland County High (grades 6–12, 517 students) and Bland County Elementary (grades PK–5, 301 students)—that nevertheless ranks in the top 12% of Virginia districts (15th out of 131) with a 4-star rating.

These two schools have very different profiles. Bland County High is the district’s academic standout: it ranked 52nd out of 331 Virginia high schools (84th percentile) in the latest year, after previously ranking 2nd and 12th. It posts strong SOL scores, especially in 11th grade reading (97.8% proficient), biology (84.6%), and middle-grade math, and its graduation rate (95.0%) beats the state (92.3%) while its dropout rate (3.3%) is well below. By contrast, Bland County Elementary is the district’s improver: its state rank jumped from the 38th percentile to the 60th percentile in one year, with dramatic math gains (5th grade math rose from 54.2% to 75.5% proficient). The elementary school also has much better attendance—chronic absenteeism is just 12.8%, below the state average of 14.8%—despite having a much higher poverty rate (75.4% free/reduced lunch) than the high school (53.0%).

The biggest district-wide concern is chronic absenteeism at Bland County High, where 29.2% of students are chronically absent—roughly double the state average—and this pulls the district average (23.4%) well above Virginia’s 14.8%. That attendance gap is especially striking because the high school performs well academically despite it, while the elementary school’s healthier attendance culture shows that high poverty does not automatically mean high absenteeism. Another notable finding: per-pupil spending is dramatically different, with Bland County Elementary spending $13,815 per student versus $6,419 at the high school—one of the largest gaps seen in a single district. Parents should also note that Bland County High is really a combined middle/high school, so its “high school” rank includes 6th–8th grade performance. Overall, despite its small size and rural setting, this district is producing strong results—and the elementary school’s rapid improvement suggests even better days ahead.