Amherst County High

Amherst County High is a 9-12 campus of average-sized scale in Amherst, Virginia, operated by Amherst County Public Schools, teacheing 1,240 students in grades 9 through 12.

Amherst County High is one of 9 schools operated by Amherst County Public Schools, a district that caters to 3,900 students overall.

Demographically, Amherst County High lists that the largest single group is White, at 66% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 18% Black, 9% multiracial, 5% Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 86 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.4:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 80% of students at Amherst County High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Amherst County High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 66.3%; this one delivers 61.4%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Amherst County) logs that median household earnings sit near $68,724, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Across Amherst County's 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,900 students), Amherst County High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Central Elementary, roughly 1.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Amherst County High ranks 5th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 63.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Looking at the recent track record. Amherst County High's enrollment has ticked up 5% since 2018, when it stood at 1,183 (now 1,240). The Black share of enrollment declined from 24% to 18% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 12.6:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

On the community side, members of the Amherst County High community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.