Enrollment
278
Middle
DISTRICT 214 · STATE 750
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LEE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510219000900
Pennington Middle
121 Bobcat Circle, Pennington Gap, VA 24277 · (276) 546-1453 · Lee County
GRADES 05–07MIDDLE42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL278 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
9.1:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.1:1 · STATE 13.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
277 students
DISTRICT 92% · STATE 66%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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
73.0%
VA avg 74.2% . +8.0pp since 2022
Math
76.0%
VA avg 72.7% . -1.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 73 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 76 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores are up about 8 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 1 points.
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
68.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
61.0%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+7.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 69% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 61% 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 →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
278
-79 (-22%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
9.1:1
was 12.6:1
% White
97%
was 96%
% Hispanic
1%
was 2%
% Black
1%
was 2%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Pennington Middle
Pennington Middle, a minimally staffed junior high in Pennington Gap, Virginia, operated by Lee County Public Schools, educates 278 students, covering grades 5 through 7. Compared to the state average of about 750 students per school, that is 63% smaller than typical.
Lee County Public Schools comprises 10 schools with combined enrollment of 2,966 students; Pennington Middle is among them.
Demographically, Pennington Middle logs that nearly all students (97%) are White.
Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.1:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 100% of students at Pennington Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
On a demographically-adjusted basis, Pennington Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 61.0%; this one delivers 68.5%.
Across the wider county, census data for Lee County shows median household income runs about $41,827, roughly 14% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 23% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Lee County's 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,966 students), Pennington Middle is one campus in the mix.
Nearest neighbor: Elk Knob Elementary, around 2.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Pennington Middle comes 5th of 9 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 63.7%.
Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.
Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 22%: 357 students in 2018 compared to 278 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 12.6:1 in 2018 to 9.1:1 in 2025.
Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Pennington Middle typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.
Lee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
21,900
Census ACS
Median income
$41,827
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
14%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
23%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
2,966 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Lee County Public Schools
- Lee HighHigh · 803 students
- Flatwoods ElementaryElementary · 336 students
- Elk Knob ElementaryElementary · 291 students
- Thomas Walker HighHigh · 291 students
- Rose Hill ElementaryElementary · 256 students
- Dryden ElementaryElementary · 237 students
Nearby schools
- Elk Knob Elementary2.6 mi · 291
- St. Charles Elementary3.6 mi · 110
- Dryden Elementary4.3 mi · 237
- Lee High4.6 mi · 803
- Jonesville Middle8.1 mi · 231
- Black Mountain Elementary School10.7 mi · 248
Frequently asked questions
About Pennington MiddleWhat is the total enrollment at Pennington Middle?
Pennington Middle enrolls approximately 278 students in grades 05-07.
What grades does Pennington Middle serve?
Pennington Middle serves grades 05-07.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pennington Middle?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Pennington Middle is approximately 9.1:1 (31 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Pennington Middle?
At Pennington Middle, the student body is approximately 97% White, 1% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Two or more.
What district is Pennington Middle in?
Pennington Middle is part of Lee County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.