Big Island Elementary

Big Island Elementary, a minimally staffed primary school in Big Island, Virginia, one of the schools within Bedford County Public Schools, works with 182 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 499 students per school, that is 64% leaner than typical.

Bedford County Public Schools comprises 19 schools with combined enrollment of 8,930 students; Big Island Elementary is among them.

Demographically, Big Island Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (84%). Beyond that, the school lists 7% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 4% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Bedford County as a whole.

On the resource side, The school employs 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.9:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 82% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is above Bedford County's rate of about 59%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Big Island Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 65.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 74.3%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Bedford County put median household earnings sit near $78,937, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Bedford County runs 22 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,930 students), of which Big Island Elementary is one.

Natural Bridge Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 7.7 miles from this campus. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Big Island Elementary ranks 4th on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 71.9%.

Big Island Elementary operates from a rural location.

Looking at the recent track record. Big Island Elementary's enrollment has climbed 33% since 2018, when it stood at 137 (now 182). Over the same period, the Hispanic share increased from 0% to 5%. Class-load math has widened: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 14.9:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Big Island Elementary typically covers fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.