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Essex High

Q: Is Essex High a good school?

Essex High ranks 199 th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Essex High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 393 students attended Essex High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Essex High?

Students at Essex High are 56% African American, 26% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Essex High?

Essex High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Tappahannock Elementary Middle : James H. Cary Intermediate

Public Grades 9-12

199^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 40% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Essex High is a small public high school in Tappahannock, Virginia, serving 393 students in grades 9–12 as part of Essex County Public Schools. Despite a student body where virtually every family qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, Essex High has staged a remarkable comeback, climbing from the 4th percentile in Virginia's rankings in 2018–19 to the 40th percentile in 2025–26, with a peak at the 53rd percentile in 2023–24.

The school's greatest strengths are English and math. In 2025–26, 91.57% of students passed the English Reading SOL, well above the state average of 88.13% and the highest among nearby schools—beating Rappahannock High (82.86%), Westmoreland High (83.00%), and King William High (82.35%). Algebra I (81.13%) and Biology (75.00%) also topped state averages. The graduation rate of 94.7% beat the state's 92.3%, and the dropout rate of 2.0% was far below the 5.0% statewide figure. Economically disadvantaged students perform at the 63rd percentile statewide.

The clearest area for growth is social studies: geography proficiency lagged about 20 points behind the state in 2025–26, and World History II posted 0% proficiency in two recent years, though VA/US History exceeded the state average. The school's efficiency is striking—Essex High spends just $6,879 per student, roughly half of what Central High ($13,550) and Westmoreland High ($12,256) spend, while outperforming both on reading, biology, and graduation. Chronic absenteeism has recovered dramatically, from 52.5% in 2020–21 to 15.7% in 2024–25. If Essex High can lift social studies scores, it is well positioned to move into the top third of Virginia high schools.

393

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,171

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

833 High School Circle
Tappahannock, VA 22560

(804) 443-4301

District: Essex County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Essex High:

Elementary:	Tappahannock Elementary
Middle:	James H. Cary Intermediate

Racial breakdown:

African American:

56.5%

White:

26.0%

Two or more races:

8.7%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Essex High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 34 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (69% vs 79% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (24% vs 13% Virginia)

!Geography scores 22 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg69%

Virginia avg79%

199^th of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 34 pts since 2016

From bottom 6% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

113^th of 131Essex 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
2023	34.1	301 of 422	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.4	216 of 415	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	5.3	411 of 419	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	408 of 424	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	39.2	194 of 298	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	39.5	270 of 411	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	24.0	333 of 409	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	46.0	227 of 402	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	50.0	199 of 331	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.9	201 of 328	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.4	153 of 329	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.5	278 of 326	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	270 of 325	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	264 of 327	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.7	313 of 327	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.1	316 of 326	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.5	315 of 324	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	17.8	302 of 321	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.5	319 of 322	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	10.1	314 of 322	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	20.3	294 of 321	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	18.2	299 of 321	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.3	310 of 320	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	14.2	307 of 317	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	19.0	303 of 313	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	22.2	293 of 316	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	23.9	288 of 313	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	22.0	291 of 314	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	32.9	259 of 308	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	126 of 242	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.4	79 of 245	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.6	83 of 249	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.3	177 of 240	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	194 of 322	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.5	230 of 321	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.3	150 of 322	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.3	271 of 320	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	119 of 321	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.1	148 of 324	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.3	88 of 320	72.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	170 of 325	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.7	177 of 322	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	184 of 322	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.6	261 of 321	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	177 of 312	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.3	140 of 313	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	174 of 314	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.6	208 of 315	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

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

White (2023)44th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2023)35th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2023)34th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2023)19th percentile-10 vs school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)63rd percentile+23 vs school

African American (2026)48th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)48th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)40th percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Reading92%+6 vs state

Algebra I81%~ state avg

Biology75%~ state avg

Geography48%-22 vs state

VA and US History43%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Essex High

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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 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)				SOL Civics and Economics (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 Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Geometry 11th 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 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th Grade	SOL Chemistry 12th 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 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 9th 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 9th 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 8th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History I 11th Grade	SOL World History I 12th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 11th Grade	SOL World History II 12th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Essex High	Public	9-12	833 High School Circle	Tappahannock	22560	Essex County	Essex County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 443-4301	393	29	13.6	99.2%	102 (26.0%)	222 (56.5%)	27 (6.9%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (8.7%)	50	199^th of 331 public high schools	39.9%		49.9	201^st of 328 public high schools	38.7%	2					389.0	< 50%			81.1	359.0	402.0	421.0	421.0	< 50%							≥ 50%	75.0	≥ 50%	463.0								≥ 50%	≥ 50%	91.6	≥ 50%	50.8	44.2	398.0	418.0		≥ 50%	42.9	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	449.0	443.0	≥ 50%						$8,171	$00	$8,171
Rappahannock High	Public	8-12	6914 Richmond Rd	Warsaw	22572	Richmond County	Richmond County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 333-3551	544	38	14.4	86.4%	318 (58.5%)	118 (21.7%)	73 (13.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.9%)	55.7	174^th of 331 public high schools	47.4%		58.9	157^th of 328 public high schools	52.1%	17				100.0	90.5			96.2	82.2	410.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	100.0					30.7			≥ 50%	78.5	403.0	< 50%	56.6						71.0			82.9	≥ 50%							351.0		≥ 50%	73.6	401.0	≥ 50%	407.0	≥ 50%				66.4	$9,245	$336	$8,909
Haynesville Corr Center	Public	11-12	421 Barn Field Road	Haynesville	22472	Richmond County	Virginia Department of Corrections	No	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(804) 333-3577				—															(n/a)
Westmoreland High	Public	9-12	16762 Kings Highway	Montross	22520	Westmoreland County	Westmoreland County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 493-8019	488	37	13.0	99.4%	188 (38.5%)	188 (38.5%)	87 (17.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	35.6	262^nd of 331 public high schools	20.8%		44.3	229^th of 328 public high schools	30.2%	33					96.3	< 50%	< 50%		64.0	68.2	≥ 50%	≥ 50%			< 50%				382.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	68.9	421.0	425.0		87.5			≥ 50%				≥ 50%	83.0	446.0	34.8	386.0	381.0	66.7		< 50%	16.0	≥ 50%											$11,212	$491	$10,721
Central High	Public	7-12	17024 The Trail	King and Queen Court House	23085	King and Queen County	King and Queen County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 785-6102	265	25	10.4	98.9%	118 (44.5%)	92 (34.7%)	24 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (11.3%)	47.2	214^th of 331 public high schools	35.3%		50	198^th of 328 public high schools	39.6%	16		84.0			411.0	≥ 50%		441.0	76.9	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	5.9	17.7			≥ 50%	70.3	434.0	≥ 50%	48.8					56.8	61.9	< 50%		74.2	≥ 50%					< 50%		< 50%	≥ 50%		76.9	409.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	63.4	$13,361	$1,071	$12,291
King William High	Public	9-12	80 Cavalier Drive	King William	23086	King William County	King William County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 769-3434	685	49	13.9	39.1%	501 (73.1%)	120 (17.5%)	21 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.5%)	33.5	271^st of 331 public high schools	18.1%		45.3	226^th of 328 public high schools	31.1%	45	≥ 50%	66.7	36.7		81.8	354.0			65.8	51.9	≥ 50%	407.0	70.4								78.1	67.2	60.0	< 50%			< 50%	389.0	≥ 50%				≥ 50%	82.4	378.0					< 50%	< 50%	373.0	66.7		76.5	40.7	< 50%			< 50%				$9,194	$628	$8,566

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex High

What schools feed into Essex High?

Essex High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Tappahannock Elementary
Middle : James H. Cary Intermediate

How many students attend Essex High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 393 students attended Essex High.

Is Essex High a good school?

Essex High ranks 199^th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Essex High?

Students at Essex High are 56% African American, 26% White, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What district is Essex High in?

Essex County Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 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.