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

New rankings! Virginia test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Council Elementary/Middle

Q: Is Council Elementary/Middle a good school?

Council Elementary/Middle ranks 732 nd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-7

732^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Council Elementary/Middle is a small rural school in Honaker, Virginia, serving 194 students in pre-kindergarten through 7th grade as part of Buchanan County Public Schools, a community where nearly every family faces significant economic challenges. The school has a long history of moderate-to-low academic performance in Virginia, with its current ranking placing it at 732 out of 1,111 elementary schools in the state. However, the picture is more nuanced than a single ranking suggests, with notable strengths in some subjects and encouraging recent trends.

When parents compare Council to nearby schools, a few striking contrasts emerge. The most dramatic is with Honaker Elementary, located just a few miles away in the same town but in Russell County Public Schools. Honaker is a much larger school and posts dramatically higher scores—for example, 85.5% proficiency in 5th grade math and reading versus Council's 55% and 50%. Within Buchanan County, Council trails its district peers Riverview Elementary/Middle and Twin Valley Elementary/Middle, with Twin Valley being a particularly close comparison given its similar size of 240 students. Twin Valley posts reading proficiency rates in the mid-to-high 80s in grades 6 and 7, compared to Council's 55.6% and 69.6%.

The school does have genuine bright spots worth noting. In 2025-2026, 5th grade science (75% proficient) and 4th grade Virginia Studies (75.9%) both exceeded state averages, and 6th grade math (77.8%) well outpaced the state. Reading and 5th grade math remain the school's biggest challenges, and attendance appears to be closely tied to outcomes—after a troubling 39.6% chronic absenteeism rate in 2022-2023, the school improved to 11.7% the next year and saw its ranking jump. While Council spends more per student ($10,736) than many higher-performing neighbors, the key question for parents is whether those resources will be directed toward literacy and attendance in the years ahead. The school demonstrates that its students can perform at an average level for their economic peers, and that's a promising foundation to build on.

194

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,736

Per pupil spending ?

103.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7608 Helen Henderson Hwy
Honaker, VA 24260

(276) 859-9329

District: Buchanan County Public Schools

Students who attend Council Elementary/Middle usually attend:

High:

Council High

Racial breakdown:

White:

97.4%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Two or more races:

0.5%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Council Elementary/Middle to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 34th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (65% vs 70% meeting standards)

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

!Civics and Economics scores 14 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg67%

Virginia avg70%

Elementary school

732^nd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

293^rd of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	732 of 1111	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.1	737 of 1110	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.1	667 of 1114	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.6	837 of 1114	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.1	772 of 1109	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.8	649 of 1103	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.8	737 of 1105	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	780 of 1097	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.7	1017 of 1099	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	33.8	844 of 1096	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	54.4	576 of 1100	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.6	811 of 1110	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.7	776 of 1120	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	20.9	1020 of 1117	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	36.2	854 of 1117	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	20.4	1033 of 1113	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	64.6	356 of 1082	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	52.2	579 of 1081	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.3	796 of 1083	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.3	736 of 1071	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	13.0	1016 of 1062	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	591 of 1100	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.6	690 of 1096	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.7	725 of 1100	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	472 of 1040	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.0	553 of 1046	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.3	358 of 1036	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	545 of 1099	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.5	589 of 1093	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	667 of 1101	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.8	871 of 1093	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	19.1	879 of 974	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.8	880 of 973	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.6	833 of 979	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.3	946 of 984	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	293 of 416	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.0	317 of 419	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	65.8	140 of 417	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.5	305 of 422	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.3	238 of 415	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	171 of 419	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.6	178 of 424	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.6	301 of 413	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.2	389 of 415	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	51.3	196 of 409	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.9	152 of 412	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	39.8	257 of 416	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.4	291 of 416	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	27.9	346 of 413	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.1	338 of 413	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.6	401 of 408	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	64.4	94 of 390	75.9%	★★★★☆
2008	49.5	208 of 391	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.0	310 of 387	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	36.3	286 of 383	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.6	219 of 409	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.4	192 of 403	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	190 of 401	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.7	161 of 403	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.2	80 of 402	80.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	182 of 410	55.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	365 of 400	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	375 of 400	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	45.1	238 of 396	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	14.3	377 of 402	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+21 vs school

Male (2026)50th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-24 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)56th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile+23 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile+17 vs school

White (2026)9th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies76%+5 vs state

Science75%+6 vs state

Mathematics64%-4 vs state

English Reading63%-9 vs state

Civics and Economics57%-14 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Council Elementary/Middle and help other families decide.

Rate Council Elementary/Middle

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Council Elementary/Middle

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 Algebra I (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (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	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 Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Council Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-7	7608 Helen Henderson Hwy	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 859-9329	194	16	12.2	103.6%	189 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	40.2	732^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	34.1%		38.1	737^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.6%	5		62.5	69.0	55.0	77.8	52.2		75.0		62.5	72.4	50.0	55.6	69.6			56.5	75.9	$10,736	$3,923	$6,813
Honaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	50 Honaker Elementary Dr.	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 873-6301	712	54	13.2	91.2%	695 (97.6%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	69.3	359^th of 1111 public elementary schools	67.7%		78.9	232^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	79.1%	127		84.5	80.9	85.5	50.0	78.2		90.3		73.8	91.2	85.5	72.7	71.8			76.9	80.6	$7,475	$942	$6,533
Twin Valley Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-7	9017 Riverside Drive	Oakwood	24631	Buchanan County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 498-4537	240	21	11.2	104.2%	229 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	46	661^st of 1111 public elementary schools	40.5%		50.4	592^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	46.7%	69		77.8	73.3	56.7	68.2	75.0		50.0		81.5	83.3	60.0	86.4	87.5			66.7	54.8	$10,649	$3,532	$7,117
Lebanon Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	919 East Main Street	Lebanon	24266	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 889-4507	267	20	13.1	94.4%	257 (96.3%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)								(n/a)																			$7,633	$1,275	$6,357
Lebanon Elementary	Public	2-4	56 George Ben Whited Drive	Lebanon	24266	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 889-6531	292	24	12.3	89.7%	279 (95.5%)	6 (2.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	64.5	421^st of 1111 public elementary schools	62.1%		48.9	617^th of 1110 public elementary schools	44.4%	196		81.0	73.2							71.4	78.1							84.0	$8,272	$1,095	$7,177
Belfast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	646 Belfast School Rd.	Rosedale	24280	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 880-2283	141	10	14.7	91.5%	137 (97.2%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	84.1	142^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	87.2%		93.2	16^th of 1110 public elementary schools	98.6%	126		100.0	87.5	82.4				88.2		93.3	87.5	94.1						75.0	$6,294	$1,079	$5,215
Riverview Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	27382 Riverside Drive	Grundy	24614	Buchanan County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 935-1613	719	50	14.4	101.1%	689 (95.8%)	4 (0.6%)	15 (2.1%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	45.9	663^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	40.3%		45.9	658^th of 1110 public elementary schools	40.7%	5	100.0	59.8	49.1	79.1	78.3	59.3	34.1	74.4	66.7	54.9	82.5	69.8	71.7	64.6	68.2	69.0	45.1	69.1	$8,517	$2,461	$6,056
Richlands Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 East Front Street	Richlands	24641	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 964-4112	576	42	13.7	90.5%	554 (96.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	77	251^st of 1111 public elementary schools	77.4%		70.1	351^st of 1110 public elementary schools	68.4%	100		79.0	81.6	87.9				73.6		75.3	88.9	89.0						89.9	$9,850	$1,554	$8,296
Ridgeview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	300 Wolfpack Way	Clintwood	24228	Dickenson County	Dickenson County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(276) 835-1602	667	58	11.5	96.0%	644 (96.6%)	4 (0.6%)	10 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.2%)	65.1	413^th of 1111 public elementary schools	62.8%		64.8	422^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	62.0%	9		86.7	75.6							75.9	78.9							71.5	$8,832	$988	$7,844
St. Paul Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3200 Deacon Drive	Saint Paul	24283	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 762-5941	514	44	11.6	86.8%	473 (92.0%)	14 (2.7%)	8 (1.6%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	95.8	2^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	99.8%		95.4	4^th of 1110 public elementary schools	99.6%	2	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.5	97.9	95.0	100.0	97.5	100.0	100.0	100.0	95.0	95.8	92.3	92.9		92.3	100.0	$8,675	$810	$7,865

Frequently Asked Questions about Council Elementary/Middle

How many students attend Council Elementary/Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 194 students attended Council Elementary/Middle.

Is Council Elementary/Middle a good school?

Council Elementary/Middle ranks 732^nd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Council Elementary/Middle in?

Buchanan County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Council Elementary/Middle?

Students at Council Elementary/Middle are 97% White, 2% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Council Elementary/Middle attend?

Students who attend Council Elementary/Middle usually go on to attend:

High : Council High

Rate Council Elementary/Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Elementary 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 Elementary/Middle!

Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 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.