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High Schools in Smyth County Public Schools

At a glance

DistrictSmyth County Public Schools17^th of 131 Virginia districtsFull district overview →

Schools

1,151

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedNorthwood High11^th of 331 Virginia high schools

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Biggest riser

Chilhowie High up 13 spots statewide this year

Compare Virginia districts →See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Smyth County Public Schools in Virginia serves three high schools — Marion Senior High, Chilhowie High, and Northwood High — all spanning grades 9–12 in a rural, high-poverty region where free/reduced lunch eligibility approaches 100%, yet the district still ranks in the 87th percentile statewide with two of its three schools earning 5-star ratings.

Northwood High is the district's academic leader, consistently placing in the top 12 schools in Virginia (97th percentile) with the strongest SOL proficiency rates in Algebra I (96.43%), Biology (94.74%), and English Reading (93.88%), along with the lowest chronic absenteeism (14.0%), the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.7:1), and the highest per-pupil spending ($12,396). Chilhowie High is the efficient overachiever, ranked 31st in Virginia (91st percentile) with the district's highest graduation rate (98.9%) and strong scores in Algebra I (95.35%) and English Reading (96.51%) — all achieved with the lowest spending ($9,108 per student) and highest class sizes (14.2:1). By contrast, Marion Senior High is the largest but lowest-ranked school (50th percentile, 3 stars), with weaker Biology proficiency (74.04%) and a striking 28.1% chronic absenteeism rate — nearly double the state average.

The biggest differentiator across the district is attendance: Northwood's absenteeism is below the state average, while Marion's is nearly double it, likely dragging down its test scores. Marion also shows a dramatic red flag in Geography SOL proficiency (just 14.29% vs. 72.24% statewide) and a concerning 12th-grade English Reading pass rate of only 50%. Still, all three schools post graduation rates above 98% and dropout rates below 1.6%, far better than the state's 5.0% dropout rate. For parents, this means Smyth County Public Schools is a district where poverty does not define success — Northwood and Chilhowie are proven high achievers, while Marion offers strong student persistence but would benefit most from targeted attendance and academic support.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)				SOL Chemistry (2026)	SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Earth Science (2026)				SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (2026)				SOL VA and US History (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)			SOL World History II (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL Geography 11th Grade	SOL Geography 12th Grade	SOL VA and US History 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History I 11th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chilhowie High	Public	9-12	1160 East Lee Hwy	Chilhowie	24319	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 646-8966	384	27	14.2	99.2%	357 (93.0%)	6 (1.6%)	17 (4.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	78.8	31^st of 331 public high schools	90.6%		77	44^th of 328 public high schools	86.6%	13	80.4	≥ 50%	95.4	418.0	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	88.9	≥ 50%		< 50%					96.5	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	≥ 50%			< 50%		389.0	< 50%		< 50%	< 50%		$10,188	$344	$9,844
Marion Senior High	Public	9-12	848 Stage ST	Marion	24354	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 783-4731	563	53	10.6	99.5%	521 (92.5%)	19 (3.4%)	15 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	56.6	165^th of 331 public high schools	50.2%		60.3	144^th of 328 public high schools	56.1%	21	87.9	< 50%	86.6	81.8		≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	74.0	63.6	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	87.3	442.0	14.3	363.0		< 50%	≥ 50%	395.0	440.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	$11,977	$380	$11,597
Northwood High	Public	9-12	305 Panther Ln	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 496-7751	204	23	8.7	98.5%	193 (94.6%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	83.4	11^th of 331 public high schools	96.7%		83.1	9^th of 328 public high schools	97.3%	2	87.5		96.4	≥ 50%					94.7	≥ 50%				≥ 50%			93.9	≥ 50%						453.0		< 50%						$15,641	$667	$14,974

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Southwest Virginia Mental Health Institute	9.26 mi	1
Virginia Department of Corrections	9.37 mi	62
Tazewell County Public Schools	13.24 mi	14	19^th
Washington County Public Schools	13.49 mi	18	12^th
Russell County Public Schools	13.67 mi	10	80^th

See the top VA Virginia districts

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.