Union High

Union High operates as a cozy high school in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, operated by Wise County Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 564 students spanning grades 9 through 12. That puts it 54% leaner than the typical public school in Virginia, which averages around 1,213 students.

Wise County Public Schools comprises 11 schools with combined enrollment of 5,779 students; Union High is among them.

On demographics, Union High logs that 91% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 4% Black, 3% multiracial, 2% Hispanic. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 91% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Union High sits in the top 10% of Virginia schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 63.4%; actual is 84.9%, +21.4 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Zooming out to the county, Wise County reports that the typical household earns roughly $52,943 per year, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Union High is one of 14 public schools in Wise County (combined enrollment of about 5,779 students).

Nearest neighbor: Union Primary, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Union High ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 80.8%.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 17%: 678 students in 2018 compared to 564 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 96% to 91%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.1:1 in 2018 to 15.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Union High community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.