While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. As states decide whether their school districts will have in-person learning this fall, studies show that low-income students will suffer the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor is that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $460 - $1,154 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
Virginia has the 16th least equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 132 districts in Virginia based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil. Read on for the district ranking and a complete description of our methodology.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Virginia
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roanoke County Schools | 0.20 | $10,336 | $65,467 |
| 2 | King And Queen County Schools | 0.34 | $12,554 | $54,516 |
| 3 | Colonial Heights City Schools | 0.66 | $12,836 | $53,716 |
| 4 | Madison County Schools | 1.09 | $12,530 | $54,197 |
| 5 | Caroline County School | 1.13 | $10,380 | $64,715 |
| 6 | Rockingham County Schools | 1.67 | $11,711 | $59,817 |
| 7 | Louisa County Schools | 1.74 | $11,816 | $59,343 |
| 8 | Henrico County Schools | 1.89 | $9,951 | $68,572 |
| 9 | Greene County Public Schools | 2.94 | $10,808 | $64,979 |
| 10 | Richmond City Schools | 3.20 | $14,133 | $45,117 |
| 11 | Prince George County Schools | 3.30 | $10,439 | $67,001 |
| 12 | Augusta County School District | 4.06 | $10,728 | $61,305 |
| 13 | Essex County Schools | 4.18 | $12,473 | $52,681 |
| 14 | Williamsburg-James City County Schools | 4.52 | $11,722 | $56,163 |
| 15 | Lancaster County Schools | 5.08 | $13,967 | $50,739 |
| 16 | Bedford County School District | 5.78 | $10,476 | $61,541 |
| 17 | Winchester City Schools | 6.17 | $13,473 | $53,797 |
| 18 | Gloucester County Schools | 6.45 | $10,873 | $66,701 |
| 19 | Warren County Schools | 6.65 | $10,593 | $68,189 |
| 20 | Orange County Schools | 7.92 | $10,685 | $68,481 |
| 21 | Rockbridge County Schools | 8.07 | $11,578 | $54,805 |
| 22 | Staunton City Schools | 9.17 | $12,827 | $48,049 |
| 23 | Craig County Schools | 9.50 | $11,270 | $55,484 |
| 24 | Salem City School District | 10.51 | $10,804 | $57,185 |
| 25 | Isle Of Wight County Schools | 10.79 | $10,434 | $71,376 |
| 26 | Westmoreland County Schools | 10.86 | $13,784 | $55,000 |
| 27 | Suffolk City Schools | 10.90 | $10,593 | $70,664 |
| 28 | Hampton City Schools | 11.25 | $11,253 | $54,550 |
| 29 | Franklin City Schools | 12.10 | $14,045 | $40,375 |
| 30 | Botetourt County School | 12.56 | $11,249 | $68,410 |
| 31 | King William-County Schools | 12.58 | $11,096 | $69,175 |
| 32 | Montgomery County Schools | 13.11 | $11,014 | $54,641 |
| 33 | Shenandoah County Schools | 13.26 | $10,939 | $54,921 |
| 34 | Newport News City Schools | 13.53 | $11,527 | $51,884 |
| 35 | Southampton County Schools | 13.82 | $10,936 | $54,611 |
| 36 | Culpeper County Schools | 14.22 | $10,486 | $73,116 |
| 37 | Dinwiddie County Schools | 14.61 | $10,584 | $55,880 |
| 38 | Northumberland County Schools | 14.73 | $13,492 | $58,677 |
| 39 | Franklin County Schools | 15.06 | $11,191 | $52,639 |
| 40 | Roanoke City Schools | 15.32 | $13,122 | $43,028 |
| 41 | Amelia County School | 15.97 | $9,883 | $58,526 |
| 42 | Portsmouth City Schools | 16.13 | $11,557 | $50,224 |
| 43 | Richmond County Schools | 16.33 | $11,614 | $49,831 |
| 44 | Pulaski County Schools | 16.59 | $11,010 | $52,638 |
| 45 | Brunswick County School | 17.05 | $13,141 | $41,927 |
| 46 | Lynchburg City Schools | 17.11 | $12,839 | $43,374 |
| 47 | Harrisonburg City Public Schools | 17.53 | $12,683 | $43,893 |
| 48 | Middlesex County Schools | 17.58 | $11,040 | $51,917 |
| 49 | Norfolk City Schools | 18.54 | $11,492 | $49,146 |
| 50 | Bland County School Division | 19.40 | $11,111 | $50,511 |
| 51 | Alleghany Highlands Public Schools | 20.12 | $11,580 | $47,794 |
| 52 | Appomattox County Schools | 20.22 | $9,858 | $56,176 |
| 53 | New Kent County Schools | 20.24 | $9,857 | $79,698 |
| 54 | Prince Edward County School | 20.86 | $11,820 | $46,189 |
| 55 | Fluvanna County Schools | 21.22 | $10,946 | $74,931 |
| 56 | Sussex County Schools District | 21.24 | $16,891 | $45,801 |
| 57 | Chesterfield County Schools | 21.37 | $9,886 | $80,214 |
| 58 | Giles County Schools | 21.50 | $10,461 | $52,478 |
| 59 | Mathews County Schools | 21.55 | $12,601 | $67,009 |
| 60 | Fredericksburg City Schools | 22.00 | $13,417 | $63,274 |
| 61 | West Point Town Schools | 22.83 | $12,687 | $67,330 |
| 62 | Floyd County Schools | 23.18 | $10,822 | $49,729 |
| 63 | Amherst County School | 23.24 | $10,929 | $49,170 |
| 64 | Waynesboro City Schools | 23.25 | $11,628 | $45,738 |
| 65 | Northampton County Schools | 25.42 | $11,817 | $43,553 |
| 66 | Virginia Beach City Schools | 25.51 | $11,606 | $74,186 |
| 67 | Greensville County Schools | 25.82 | $11,569 | $44,534 |
| 68 | Nelson County Schools | 25.89 | $14,047 | $62,446 |
| 69 | Charlotte County Schools | 25.91 | $12,644 | $39,212 |
| 70 | Buckingham County Schools | 26.48 | $11,138 | $46,261 |
| 71 | Colonial Beach Twn Schools | 26.62 | $11,016 | $46,780 |
| 72 | Cumberland County Schools | 26.85 | $11,103 | $46,221 |
| 73 | Page County Schools | 27.33 | $10,693 | $47,951 |
| 74 | Chesapeake City Schools | 27.74 | $11,544 | $75,790 |
| 75 | Frederick County Schools | 28.05 | $12,098 | $73,250 |
| 76 | Campbell County School | 28.21 | $10,118 | $50,258 |
| 77 | Wythe County Schools | 29.13 | $10,461 | $48,043 |
| 78 | Manassas Park City Schools | 29.58 | $10,767 | $80,667 |
| 79 | Carroll County School District | 29.72 | $11,311 | $43,532 |
| 80 | Charles City County Schools | 32.07 | $15,443 | $59,192 |
| 81 | Accomack County School | 32.37 | $11,063 | $43,210 |
| 82 | Nottoway County Schools | 32.65 | $11,099 | $42,869 |
| 83 | Washington County Schools | 32.81 | $10,388 | $46,262 |
| 84 | Clarke County Schools | 33.56 | $11,796 | $77,936 |
| 85 | Martinsville City Schools | 34.74 | $12,819 | $33,224 |
| 86 | Petersburg City Schools | 35.18 | $12,173 | $36,135 |
| 87 | King George County Schools | 35.39 | $9,867 | $88,452 |
| 88 | Halifax County Schools | 35.55 | $10,874 | $42,289 |
| 89 | Danville City Schools | 35.56 | $12,094 | $36,301 |
| 90 | Grayson County Schools | 36.02 | $12,515 | $33,969 |
| 91 | Hopewell City Schools | 36.03 | $11,182 | $40,497 |
| 92 | Powhatan County Schools | 36.14 | $10,882 | $83,914 |
| 93 | Rappahannock County Schools | 36.34 | $14,063 | $68,438 |
| 94 | Albemarle County School District | 36.99 | $12,721 | $75,394 |
| 95 | Spotsylvania County Schools | 37.12 | $10,710 | $85,330 |
| 96 | Mecklenburg County Schools | 37.78 | $10,663 | $42,025 |
| 97 | Pittsylvania County Schools | 38.18 | $9,931 | $45,382 |
| 98 | Hanover County Schools | 38.45 | $10,189 | $88,652 |
| 99 | Bristol City Schools | 39.13 | $11,343 | $37,904 |
| 100 | Lunenburg County Schools | 39.69 | $10,468 | $41,868 |
| 101 | Bath County School | 40.37 | $19,092 | $46,137 |
| 102 | Smyth County Schools | 41.93 | $10,497 | $40,425 |
| 103 | Lee County School | 42.58 | $11,992 | $32,718 |
| 104 | Manassas City Schools | 43.56 | $12,874 | $78,462 |
| 105 | Russell County Schools | 43.60 | $10,491 | $39,482 |
| 106 | Covington City Schools | 44.08 | $10,445 | $39,432 |
| 107 | Highland County Schools | 44.09 | $19,531 | $46,147 |
| 108 | York County Schools | 44.26 | $10,529 | $90,367 |
| 109 | Charlottesville City School | 44.45 | $16,965 | $58,933 |
| 110 | Patrick County Schools | 46.01 | $10,001 | $40,486 |
| 111 | Scott County Schools | 46.11 | $10,263 | $39,144 |
| 112 | Tazewell County Schools | 46.57 | $9,834 | $40,978 |
| 113 | Radford City Schools | 47.20 | $10,623 | $36,743 |
| 114 | Lexington City Schools | 48.95 | $10,472 | $36,466 |
| 115 | Galax City Schools | 50.63 | $11,197 | $31,938 |
| 116 | Buchanan County School District | 51.61 | $11,312 | $30,806 |
| 117 | Henry County Schools | 53.72 | $9,862 | $36,683 |
| 118 | Buena Vista City Schools | 54.29 | $10,287 | $34,273 |
| 119 | Goochland County Schools | 55.25 | $11,959 | $89,741 |
| 120 | Wise County Schools | 56.26 | $9,222 | $38,345 |
| 121 | Dickenson County Schools | 56.62 | $11,040 | $29,226 |
| 122 | Poquoson City Schools | 58.92 | $10,948 | $96,831 |
| 123 | Surry County Schools | 64.62 | $20,191 | $54,844 |
| 124 | Stafford County Schools | 68.81 | $10,093 | $106,773 |
| 125 | Norton City Schools | 73.95 | $9,221 | $28,071 |
| 126 | Fauquier County Schools | 74.19 | $12,629 | $97,469 |
| 127 | Prince William County Schools | 75.82 | $11,497 | $103,964 |
| 128 | Alexandria City Schools | 114.71 | $17,584 | $96,733 |
| 129 | Fairfax County Schools | 134.33 | $14,932 | $121,133 |
| 130 | Loudoun County Schools | 154.26 | $14,208 | $136,268 |
| 131 | Arlington County Public Schools | 160.61 | $18,816 | $117,374 |
| 132 | Falls Church City Schools | 167.06 | $18,067 | $124,796 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,919 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.