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Union Primary

Public Grades PK, KG-4

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 96% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Union Primary is a PK-4 elementary school in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, serving 809 students and part of the highly ranked Wise County Public Schools district, which is ranked #2 out of 131 districts in Virginia. The school has earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks #49 out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools in 2025-2026, placing it in the 96th percentile statewide.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Union Primary is its success with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Roughly 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the school's Low Socioeconomic Status subgroup ranks #11 in Virginia (99th percentile) — a three-year streak of top-1% performance. Union outperforms the state by 15 to 23 percentage points across subjects, with 4th grade math at 94.3% proficiency and 4th grade Virginia Studies at 93.5% proficiency. This "beat the odds" profile is rare: nearby schools in Lee County Public Schools, Scott County Public Schools, and Norton City Public Schools with similar poverty rates typically rank in the bottom half statewide. Even compared to strong district peers like Coeburn Primary and Wise Primary, Union holds its own at #49 while serving nearly double the enrollment of Coeburn.

Union's main area of concern is chronic absenteeism, which spiked to 20.8% in 2024-2025 — the highest among nearby schools and well above the district average of 15.0%. Test scores have not yet shown a decline, but this trend bears watching. A second focus area is 3rd grade reading, where 83.5% proficiency lags the district's 89.4%, though by 4th grade reading jumps to 92.7%. The school also achieves these results while spending less per pupil ($8,340) than most regional peers. For parents, Union Primary offers a proven track record of academic excellence in a high-poverty setting, with particularly strong math, Virginia Studies, and support for economically disadvantaged students.

809

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,152

Per pupil spending ?

90.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2945 Second Avenue East
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219

(276) 523-4900

District: Wise County Public Schools

Students who attend Union Primary usually attend:

Middle:	Coeburn Middle
	L.F. Addington Middle
	Union Middle
High:	Central High
	Eastside High
	Union High

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.1%

Two or more races:

5.8%

African American:

3.6%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 83rd percentile in 2016 → 96th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (91% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school91%

District avg92%

Virginia avg72%

49^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From top 17% (2016) to top 4% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Wise County Public Schools

2^nd of 131Wise 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	89.7	49 of 1111	95.6%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	92 of 1110	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	88.7	60 of 1114	94.6%	★★★★★
2023	87.5	77 of 1114	93.1%	★★★★★
2022	82.4	176 of 1109	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.1	190 of 1103	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	89.4	23 of 1105	97.9%	★★★★★
2018	86.7	68 of 1097	93.8%	★★★★★
2017	81.9	124 of 1099	88.7%	★★★★☆
2016	77.6	184 of 1096	83.2%	★★★★☆
2015	79.3	159 of 1100	85.5%	★★★★☆
2014	80.0	145 of 1110	86.9%	★★★★☆
2013	65.5	368 of 1120	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	360 of 1117	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.4	460 of 1117	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.9	251 of 1113	77.4%	★★★★☆
2009	67.7	305 of 1082	71.8%	★★★★☆
2008	79.0	124 of 1081	88.5%	★★★★☆
2007	74.6	199 of 1083	81.6%	★★★★☆
2006	70.9	257 of 1071	76.0%	★★★★☆
2005	79.9	141 of 1062	86.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	79.5	56 of 420	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	90.1	8 of 355	97.7%	★★★★★
2023	79.1	30 of 324	90.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	74 of 1100	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	85.3	100 of 1096	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	86.6	83 of 1098	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	86.2	89 of 1100	91.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	95.4	11 of 1040	98.9%	★★★★★
2025	94.2	14 of 1046	98.7%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	14 of 1036	98.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	90.3	33 of 1099	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	84.7	107 of 1093	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	87.8	62 of 1101	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	85.8	100 of 1093	90.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	79.2	135 of 974	86.1%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	170 of 973	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	117 of 979	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	142 of 984	85.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)97th percentile~ school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)87th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)86th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies94%+23 vs state

Mathematics93%+19 vs state

English Reading88%+17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Union Primary

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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 Algebra I (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (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	Free/reduced lunch (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 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 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
Union Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	2945 Second Avenue East	Big Stone Gap	24219	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 523-4900	809	61	13.2	90.1%	721 (89.1%)	29 (3.6%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.8%)	89.7	49^th of 1111 public elementary schools	95.6%		86.7	92^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	91.7%	43		91.7	94.3							83.5	92.7						93.5	$8,152	$808	$7,343
Norton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	205 E Park Ave	Norton	24273	Norton city	Norton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 679-0971	527	39	13.6	—	455 (86.3%)	15 (2.8%)	12 (2.3%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	59.8	478^th of 1111 public elementary schools	57.0%		54.3	549^th of 1110 public elementary schools	50.5%	71		78.6	81.0	82.0	75.4	79.5		66.0		60.7	77.6	68.0	75.4	83.1		78.7	87.9	$10,281	$53	$10,228
Wise Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	323 Railroad Ave SE	Wise	24293	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 328-8019	603	45	13.4	87.2%	524 (86.9%)	20 (3.3%)	24 (4.0%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.1%)	84.4	138^th of 1111 public elementary schools	87.6%		85.2	120^th of 1110 public elementary schools	89.2%	18		85.7	84.4							87.0	90.0						90.0	$8,878	$1,019	$7,860
Duffield-Pattonsville Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	663 Duffield-Pattonsville Highway	Duffield	24244	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 431-2244	308	21	14.8	70.1%	286 (92.9%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	56.5	533^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	52.0%		73.2	306^th of 1110 public elementary schools	72.4%	227		58.3	79.6							66.7	86.4						81.8	$8,554	$1,811	$6,743
Dryden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	176 School House Ridge Road	Dryden	24243	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 546-4443	237	21	11.2	86.1%	232 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	37.7	759^th of 1111 public elementary schools	31.7%		44.5	671^st of 1110 public elementary schools	39.5%	88		74.4	62.2	59.5				53.7		74.4	73.0	71.4					50.0	$12,405	$2,695	$9,710
Dungannon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	113 Fifth Avenue	Dungannon	24245	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 467-2281	131	14	9.5	74.0%	126 (96.2%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	57.1	521^st of 1111 public elementary schools	53.1%		61.7	458^th of 1110 public elementary schools	58.7%	63		62.5	75.0	70.6	84.6	75.0		76.5		56.3	100.0	70.6	76.9	65.0		70.0	91.7	$13,591	$1,913	$11,679
Coeburn Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	332 School House Hill Dr.	Coeburn	24230	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 395-6100	420	35	12.0	87.6%	369 (87.9%)	15 (3.6%)	12 (2.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	92.8	15^th of 1111 public elementary schools	98.6%		87.8	79^th of 1110 public elementary schools	92.9%	64		96.5	98.7							91.2	93.2						91.9	$8,679	$900	$7,778
J.W. Adams Combined	Public	PK, KG-8	10824 Orby Cantrell Hwy	Pound	24279	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 796-5419	523	42	12.5	85.7%	469 (89.7%)	21 (4.0%)	16 (3.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	89.2	54^th of 1111 public elementary schools	95.1%		82.9	164^th of 1110 public elementary schools	85.2%	110	100.0	93.2	95.9	85.7	93.3	80.0	90.0	80.0	95.4	94.9	95.9	94.3	88.9	93.8	97.7	93.6	85.7	$9,013	$581	$8,432
Elk Knob Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	148 Hornet Loop	Pennington Gap	24277	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 546-1837	291	24	12.2	87.6%	281 (96.6%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	36.6	769^th of 1111 public elementary schools	30.8%		46.5	649^th of 1110 public elementary schools	41.5%	120		77.8	66.7	68.9				40.0		84.4	58.8	62.2					59.6	$10,736	$3,661	$7,075
St. Charles Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2434 St. Charles Road	Saint Charles	24282	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 383-4531	110	12	9.5	82.7%	106 (96.4%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	65.4	407^th of 1111 public elementary schools	63.4%		78.5	239^th of 1110 public elementary schools	78.5%	168		76.9	85.7	77.3				59.1		405.0	92.9	77.3					100.0	$17,732	$3,208	$14,524

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Primary

What schools do graduates of Union Primary attend?

Students who attend Union Primary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Coeburn Middle
Middle : L.F. Addington Middle
Middle : Union Middle
High : Central High
High : Eastside High
High : Union High

Is Union Primary a good school?

Yes! Union Primary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 49^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Union Primary?

Students at Union Primary are 89% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Union Primary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 809 students attended Union Primary.

What district is Union Primary in?

Wise County Public Schools

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Schools in Big Stone Gap, VA

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 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.