Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Virginia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Council High

Q: Is Council High a good school?

Council High ranks in the bottom 13.9% of Virginia high schools.

Q: How many students attend Council High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 115 students attended Council High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Council High?

Students at Council High are 99% White.

Q: What schools feed into Council High?

Council High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Council Elementary/Middle

Public Grades 8-12

285^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 14% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Council High in Honaker, VA, is a very small public high school in rural Buchanan County, serving just 115 students in grades 8 through 12 and belonging to Buchanan County Public Schools. Despite a high-poverty population—over 98% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—this school shows a genuinely mixed academic profile, with notable strengths in math and science but serious challenges in literacy.

In STEM subjects, Council High consistently outperforms its district and state averages. Algebra I proficiency reached 93.33% in 2025-2026, matching high-performing Richlands High, while 8th-grade science (76.47%) and Biology (75%) also beat nearby schools like Castlewood High and Honaker High. The school also posted a remarkable 0.0% dropout rate in 2024-2025 and a 94.1% graduation rate, above the state average and above Grundy High and Twin Valley High.

However, literacy is a major weak spot. In 2025-2026, 11th-grade English Reading proficiency was just 68.18% versus 88.13% statewide, and 11th-grade Writing was 63.64%, the lowest among all neighboring schools, including Lebanon High and Ridgeview High. Chronic absenteeism has improved sharply to 20.2%, but still exceeds the state average. Subgroup data shows that female students rank in the 55th percentile, while male students and white students rank far lower, indicating significant gaps in how effectively the school serves different groups. With per-pupil spending of $11,620 and a favorable 11.2-to-1 student-teacher ratio, Council High has the resources to improve; closing the literacy gap is the clearest path toward becoming a well-rounded school for all its students.

115

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,620

Per pupil spending ?

98.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7608 Helen Henderson Hwy
Honaker, VA 24260

(276) 859-9329

District: Buchanan County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Council High:

Elementary:

Council Elementary/Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

99.1%

Two or more races:

0.9%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Council High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg67%

Virginia avg73%

285^th of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 42 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4High Schools in the Buchanan County Public Schools

87^th of 131Buchanan County Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	232 of 419	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.1	169 of 422	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	196 of 415	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.5	135 of 419	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.4	328 of 424	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.6	307 of 413	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	15.6	381 of 415	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	56.0	169 of 409	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	25.0	345 of 412	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	32.9	297 of 416	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.6	354 of 416	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	8.1	404 of 413	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	9.4	404 of 413	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	49.1	208 of 408	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	73.6	39 of 390	90.0%	★★★★★
2008	32.7	308 of 391	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.1	380 of 387	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	24.0	349 of 383	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	14.9	332 of 340	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	64.6	144 of 403	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.4	91 of 411	77.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	61.1	149 of 403	63.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	24.6	333 of 400	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.4	284 of 402	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	285 of 331	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.4	284 of 328	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.7	181 of 329	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.6	119 of 326	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	186 of 325	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.7	179 of 327	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.1	103 of 327	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.6	143 of 326	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	38.3	222 of 324	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	51.1	143 of 321	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	75 of 322	76.7%	★★★★☆
2014	36.9	230 of 322	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	26.6	271 of 321	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	38.1	232 of 321	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.2	227 of 320	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.3	215 of 317	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.0	264 of 313	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	51.7	146 of 316	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.0	51 of 313	83.7%	★★★★☆
2006	60.2	78 of 314	75.2%	★★★★☆
2005	41.7	210 of 308	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.2	144 of 322	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	29.0	269 of 321	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	62.8	131 of 322	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	125 of 320	60.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	235 of 321	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.2	287 of 324	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.4	128 of 320	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	21.3	298 of 322	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	63.3	122 of 322	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	162 of 321	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	20.7	295 of 312	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.5	303 of 313	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	39.0	243 of 314	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.4	170 of 315	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Female (2025)64th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile+18 vs school

White (2025)17th percentile-28 vs school

High school

Female (2026)55th percentile+41 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)7th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I93%+10 vs state

Science76%+12 vs state

English Reading64%-17 vs state

Writing64%-13 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Council High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a citizen
Saturday, August 26, 2017

Tiny school with no curriculum choices Close Quote

Schools Near Council High

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Writing (2026)			SOL Geometry (2026)				SOL Algebra I (2026)					SOL Algebra II (2026)				SOL Mathematics (2026)	SOL Chemistry (2026)		SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Science (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 (2024)
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 (2025)	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 Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Geometry 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 12th 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 Algebra II 10th Grade	SOL Algebra II 11th Grade	SOL Algebra II 12th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 8th 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 12th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 12th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Council High	Public	8-12	7608 Helen Henderson Hwy	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 859-9329	115	10	11.2	98.3%	114 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	29.3	285^th of 331 public high schools	13.9%		30.4	284^th of 328 public high schools	13.4%	1	< 50%	63.6		407.0	< 50%	< 50%		437.0	93.3	≥ 50%	≥ 50%						383.0				396.0			76.5		≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	58.8		68.2		386.0	375.0	< 50%				373.0						< 50%	< 50%	$11,620	$798	$10,821
Honaker High	Public	8-12	1795 Thompson Creek Rd.	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 873-6363	422	30	14.2	89.1%	415 (98.3%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	39.6	246^th of 331 public high schools	25.7%		52.8	180^th of 328 public high schools	45.1%	66				57.6	< 50%			96.1	≥ 50%	≥ 50%			60.0	< 50%			50.0				66.3	< 50%	≥ 50%	68.7	76.2	≥ 50%			71.1	≥ 50%	89.4	≥ 50%	61.1	395.0	< 50%			< 50%	380.0		≥ 50%			398.0			$7,922	$387	$7,535
Keen Mountain Corr Center	Public	11-12	3402 Kennel Gap Road	Oakwood	24631	Buchanan County	Virginia Department of Corrections	No	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(276) 498-7411																			(n/a)
Lebanon High	Public	8-12	105 Charles C Long Drive	Lebanon	24266	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 889-6539	571	44	13.0	90.9%	554 (97.0%)	4 (0.7%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	40	245^th of 331 public high schools	26.0%		43.1	236^th of 328 public high schools	28.0%	9				40.7	378.0	< 50%		95.8	393.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	392.0	≥ 50%		337.0	15.6			< 50%	49.5	< 50%	< 50%	67.3	79.4	372.0	≥ 50%	396.0	73.0	≥ 50%	93.1	60.0	68.1	70.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	447.0	< 50%	60.0	395.0							$6,780	$515	$6,265
Grundy High	Public	9-12	1300 Golden Wave Drive	Grundy	24614	Buchanan County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 935-2106	352	24	14.8	98.3%	347 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27.9	293^rd of 331 public high schools	11.5%		32.6	277^th of 328 public high schools	15.5%	16		80.0	≥ 50%	79.2	< 50%	< 50%			66.7	75.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	≥ 50%	374.0	63.0	63.6	< 50%								74.0	< 50%		50.0	367.0				26.1	≥ 50%	< 50%	372.0					$8,289	$1,447	$6,842
Twin Valley High	Public	8-12	14449 Dismal River Road	Pilgrims Knob	24634	Buchanan County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 259-7818	179	14	12.5	97.2%	173 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	26.2	299^th of 331 public high schools	9.7%		25.1	302^nd of 328 public high schools	7.9%	3	≥ 50%	80.0		87.5		≥ 50%		432.0	85.7	423.0				< 50%			376.0	346.0		60.0	57.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	72.0	392.0		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	84.0	≥ 50%	75.0		64.0	45.8	< 50%			≥ 50%	382.0	≥ 50%	417.0	≥ 50%					$9,101	$1,498	$7,603
Richlands High	Public	9-12	138 Tornado Alley	Richlands	24641	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 964-4602	557	60	9.3	88.5%	541 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	62.5	127^th of 331 public high schools	61.6%		68.8	99^th of 328 public high schools	69.8%	28									94.2	88.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	100.0	≥ 50%						81.8	67.7	428.0	≥ 50%							≥ 50%	94.9	≥ 50%		71.1	410.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		< 50%		≥ 50%			< 50%			$9,085	$742	$8,343
Ridgeview High	Public	9-12	310 Wolfpack Way	Clintwood	24228	Dickenson County	Dickenson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 835-1600	548	56	9.8	97.8%	528 (96.4%)	9 (1.6%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	56.4	168^th of 331 public high schools	49.2%		56.9	164^th of 328 public high schools	50.0%	4				93.8	< 50%				86.0	420.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%									85.6	≥ 50%	445.0					< 50%		≥ 50%	84.0								374.0	< 50%	60.8	389.0	≥ 50%		367.0		$13,618	$339	$13,279
Castlewood High	Public	8-12	304 Blue Devil Circle	Castlewood	24224	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 762-9449	285	19	14.9	91.2%	275 (96.5%)	3 (1.1%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	41.7	237^th of 331 public high schools	28.4%		54.6	171^st of 328 public high schools	47.9%	66				40.4	≥ 50%		< 50%	90.9	429.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%					25.0				66.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	56.4	77.4	≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	58.2		89.3	≥ 50%	41.4	392.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%		388.0	≥ 50%							$9,509	$659	$8,850

Frequently Asked Questions about Council High

What schools feed into Council High?

Council High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Council Elementary/Middle

What is the racial makeup of Council High?

Students at Council High are 99% White.

What district is Council High in?

Buchanan County Public Schools

Is Council High a good school?

Council High ranks in the bottom 13.9% of Virginia high schools.

How many students attend Council High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 115 students attended Council High.

Rate Council High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia High School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Honaker, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Council High!

Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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.