The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Tomahawk Intermediate School
Tomahawk Intermediate School sits on Hedgesville Road in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, serving grades three through five as part of Berkeley County Schools. It is a regular public school, and its enrollment is large for a single intermediate grade band, reflecting the broader growth that the Hedgesville area has experienced in recent years. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic share and a Black share that together make up a meaningful portion of the school, along with a smaller group of students identified as two or more races. The school's racial and ethnic composition mirrors a community that has been drawing new residents, many of them commuting to Martinsburg or toward the Washington metro area via Interstate 81.
State assessment results from the most recent school year paint a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, proficiency holds relatively steady across all three grade levels, with roughly half of tested students meeting or exceeding proficiency in each grade. That level of consistency across grades is a positive sign, suggesting that the school's literacy instruction is sustaining students from third grade through fifth grade without a drop-off. In mathematics, the pattern is less steady. Third-grade math proficiency is the strongest of the three grades, with a clear majority of students reaching proficiency. By fourth grade that share slips to about half, and by fifth grade it falls further. This downward slide in math as students move up through the grades is something a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly if a child is entering fourth or fifth grade. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade at this level, shows a lower proficiency rate, with a little over a third of students reaching proficiency. Participation rates on all assessments are very high, which means the results reflect nearly the entire student body.
Several pieces of information that would help round out the picture are absent from the available data. Free or reduced-price lunch counts were not reported, so it is difficult to characterize the economic profile of the student body from school-level data. Special population figures, including students with individualized education programs and English learners, were also missing. No information was available on staffing ratios, attendance, discipline, or course and program offerings, so those dimensions cannot be described here. No multi-year trend data was available beyond the current year, so it is not possible to say whether these proficiency levels represent an improvement or a decline from prior years.
The surrounding community shapes what families can expect outside the school building. Hedgesville is a very small, historic town laid out along the old Warm Springs Road, now West Virginia Route 9, and designated as a National Register Historic District. The incorporated town itself is compact and primarily residential, but the name Hedgesville is commonly used for a much larger, sparsely settled surrounding area of Berkeley County extending toward the Potomac River. That broader area has grown substantially, with housing values rising sharply over the past several years. Median home values in the school's zip code sit well above the West Virginia statewide benchmark and are approaching national levels, which reflects the influx of commuters and families drawn to the corridor. Mortgage costs at current interest rates are substantial relative to local incomes, though rent remains comparatively affordable. The area's growth has not been matched by a visible commercial center in the town itself; civic life centers on the town hall, and most employment and retail activity likely runs through nearby Martinsburg or along the I-81 corridor. A bus line connecting Hedgesville to Martinsburg has been proposed in the regional transit plan, which would give residents without a car better access to services and jobs.
We looked for recent parent-relevant changes in Berkeley County Schools but found little of lasting impact documented in available sources, so there is nothing specific to report on district-level initiatives, boundary adjustments, or program launches that would affect this school in the near term. No neighbor comparison data was provided for this school, so it cannot be positioned against other Berkeley County intermediate schools here.
For a family considering Tomahawk, the school offers a sizeable peer group for a three-grade intermediate setting and a community in the midst of steady growth. Its ELA results are a relative strength, holding across grades. The math decline from third to fifth grade and the fifth-grade science results are the areas most worth asking about. Beyond that, the missing data on economics, special populations, staffing, and programs means a parent would be well served by visiting the school and asking directly about supports, class sizes, and enrichment before making a decision.
See more original research from School Decision →