Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 13 schools in district

RICHLANDS HIGH

138 Tornado Alley, Richlands, VA 24641Tazewell County Public Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
636
Students
Total enrolled
82%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↓ 5% vs nat'l
$12,499
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 13% vs nat'l
14.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 6% vs nat'l
38/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 23% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 636 students in grades 09–12 in Richlands, Virginia.
13% below average funding
District spends $12,499 per pupil, 13% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 38th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

RICHLANDS HIGH is a large high in Richlands, Virginia, serving grades 09–12 with 636 students. The district invests $12,499 per student — 13% below the national average of $14,347, with a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 38/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at RICHLANDS HIGH

636
Total Students
14.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
82%
Free Lunch
44
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution303 male · 333 female
48%
52%
Male 48%Female 52%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility82%
National avg 52% · 523 students
Student Composition
97%
White97%
Black1%
Multiracial2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 510381001661

Academic Outcomes at RICHLANDS HIGH

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
80-84
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
82%
State avg
87%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
38
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 38th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 21th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 24641

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,499Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,499
State avg
$16,302
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,500
Student Support$2,375
Administration$1,500
Operations$1,875
Other$1,250
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,499 spent per student, an estimated $5,537 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
66%
22%
State government
65.5%
Local (property tax)
21.6%
Federal programs
12.9%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 82% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 82% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Richlands ElementaryTAZEWELL PRIMARYCedar Bluff ElementaryDUDLEY PRIMARY
+3 more
↓
Middle
RICHLANDS MIDDLEGRAHAM MIDDLETAZEWELL MIDDLE
↓
High School
TAZEWELL HIGHGRAHAM HIGH
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyTazewell County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictTazewell County Public Schools →
Phone: (276)964-4602
NCES ID: 510381001661
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Richlands seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing a diverse, community-focused learning environment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Tazewell County Public Schools
Elem
Richlands Elementary
547 students · PK–05
● 38 opp83% FRL
High
TAZEWELL HIGH
537 students · 09–12
● 47 opp83% FRL
High
GRAHAM HIGH
529 students · 09–12
● 41 opp83% FRL
Mid
RICHLANDS MIDDLE
495 students · 06–08
● 44 opp83% FRL
Elem
TAZEWELL PRIMARY
422 students · PK–02
● 47 opp83% FRL
Elem
Cedar Bluff Elementary
388 students · PK–05
● 45 opp83% FRL
Mid
GRAHAM MIDDLE
372 students · 06–08
● 41 opp83% FRL
Mid
TAZEWELL MIDDLE
369 students · 06–08
● 47 opp83% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
138 Tornado Alley, Richlands, VA 24641
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.