The Northampton County public schools are governed by the Northampton County School Board, which is composed of eight members who are appointed by the County’s Board of Supervisors.  A superintendent is appointed by the School Board to administer the operations of the County’s public schools.

The School Board functions independently of the County Board but is required to prepare and submit an annual budget to the County Board of Supervisors for its consideration.  Because the School Board can neither levy taxes nor incur indebtedness under Virginia law, the local costs of the school system are in large part provided by appropriation from the County’s General Fund.  The costs of constructing school facilities are generally provided by capital appropriations from the County’s General fund, through State Literary Fund loans, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, and through the Virginia Public School Authority.