Enrollment
254
High
DISTRICT 543 · STATE 1,213
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510390001745
Holston High
21308 Monroe Rd, Damascus, VA 24236 · (276) 739-4000 · Washington County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL254 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.7:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
75%
190 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 66%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 56 | 22% |
| Grade 10 | 67 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 51 | 20% |
| Grade 12 | 80 | 31% |
Student demographics
8%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 24% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
92.0%
VA avg 74.2% . -1.0pp since 2022
Math
95.0%
VA avg 72.7% . +2.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 92 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 95 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores are down about 1 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 2 points.
SOL results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 92.0% | 95.0% |
| 2023-24 | 91.0% | 88.0% |
| 2022-23 | 93.0% | 93.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SOL. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
80.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
67.7%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+12.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 80% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 68% typical for Virginia schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Virginia's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Holston High
Holston High's state test result (80.3% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holston High this school | 254 | 74.8% | 80.3% |
| Rye Cove High Duffield | 292 | 78.4% | 75.8% |
| Rural Retreat High Rural Retreat | 300 | 79.7% | 96.1% |
| Narrows High Narrows | 300 | 69.3% | 70.5% |
| Twin Springs High Nickelsville | 242 | 78.5% | 74.4% |
| Craig County High New Castle | 278 | 81.3% | 63.1% |
Matched among Virginia high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Holston High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 80.3% | #83 of 311 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 95.0% | #22 of 316 ▲ 78 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 92.0% | #66 of 316 ▼ 3 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 254 | #303 of 325 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.9:1 | #61 of 309 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 7.7% | #300 of 309 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 74.8% | #142 of 319 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -15.6% | #45 of 178 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
254
-5 (-2%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 389
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
was 12.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 254 | 21.3 | 11.9:1 | 75% (190) |
| 2023-24 | 250 | 20.3 | 12.3:1 | 74% (184) |
| 2022-23 | 245 | 23 | 10.7:1 | 82% (202) |
| 2020-21 | 259 | 21 | 12.3:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 301 | 23.9 | 12.6:1 | 57% (173) |
| 2015-16 | 323 | 25 | 12.9:1 | 54% (175) |
| 2010-11 | 322 | 24 | 13.4:1 | 47% (150) |
| 2000-01 | 321 | 2 | 160.5:1 | 39% (126) |
| 1990-91 | 389 | 25 | 15.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Holston High.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (301 to 254); teachers down 11% (23.9 to 21.3).
About Holston High
This page covers Holston High, a very small high school in Damascus, Virginia. Its enrollment is 254 students, spread over grades 9 through 12. On average, high schools in Virginia enroll around 1,213, and this school is 79% below that mark.
Within Washington County Public Schools, Holston High is one of 16 schools. The district enrolls 7,270 students.
White students account for 96% of the school's enrollment. Among Washington County residents, the White share is about 95%. A diversity index of 8% means there is an 8% chance two randomly chosen students at Holston High are from different groups.
Holston High lists 21.3 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 11.9 students per teacher. Across high schools in Virginia, the average ratio is 13.9:1. Free or reduced-price lunch covers 75% of the student body. Public schools in Washington County average a similar 75%.
Holston High scores 80.3% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 67.7%.
Washington County is the school's county. There, the median household earns about $64,552 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 27% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. Holston High shares Washington County with 18 other public schools.
About 1.1 miles separate Holston High from the closest public school, Damascus Middle. Other public schools within five miles: 2. Compared with its nearest neighbors, Holston High ranks 2nd of 7 on average proficiency.
Federal data place Holston High in the Rural: Distant locale, which means it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Enrollment was essentially flat over 4 years: 259 in 2020-21, 254 in 2024-25.
Holston High has a community page on allk12 for topics such as pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Washington County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
53,926
Census ACS
Median income
$64,552
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
27%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
19
7,270 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Washington County Public Schools
- Abingdon HighHigh · 914 students
- E.B. Stanley MiddleMiddle · 659 students
- John S. Battle HighHigh · 613 students
- High Point ElementaryElementary · 582 students
- Watauga ElementaryElementary · 581 students
- Meadowview ElementaryElementary · 544 students
Nearby schools
- Damascus Middle1.1 mi · 188
- Rhea Valley Elementary2.4 mi · 404
- Laurel Elementary6.5 mi · 92
- Meadowview Elementary7.6 mi · 544
- Patrick Henry High8.5 mi · 390
- Glade Spring Middle8.6 mi · 228
Frequently asked questions
About Holston HighHow many students attend Holston High?
Holston High enrolls approximately 254 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Holston High serve?
Holston High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Holston High?
Approximately 11.9:1 students per teacher at Holston High.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Holston High?
At Holston High, the student body is approximately 96% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Two or more.
Is Holston High public or private?
Holston High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Washington County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.