The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Math. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Davis Creek Elementary School
Davis Creek Elementary School sits along Davis Creek Road in Barboursville, a small village that serves as the primary retail hub for the eastern fringe of the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area. The school is part of Cabell County Schools and serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it draws from a community where quiet residential village life coexists with major commercial corridors along Interstate 64 and US Route 60.
The student body is small for its grade band and overwhelmingly white, with only a handful of students identifying as Asian, Black, Hispanic, or two or more races. This is a fairly homogeneous peer environment, which some families will see as comfortable and familiar and others may want to weigh against their priorities for diversity. Free or reduced-price lunch data was not available, and information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing, so it is hard to characterize the school's economic need or special-population support from the data on hand.
On state assessments, the most recent results show a clear and consistent pattern. Math proficiency is strong in the early tested grades, with third and fourth graders performing well above what one might expect for the state, and participation rates were essentially full. By fifth grade, math proficiency drops off sharply. English language arts results hold steadier across the three tested grades, landing in a moderate range without the same decline. Science, tested only in fifth grade, was the weakest area, with only about a third of students reaching proficiency. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school what supports are in place as students move toward upper elementary, particularly in math and science. No multi-year trend data was available beyond the current year, so there is no way to tell from the data whether this pattern is persistent or a one-year snapshot.
Because the school stops at fifth grade, there are no middle or high school results, no graduation rate, and no college- or career-readiness indicators. Those gaps reflect the grade range, not missing reporting. No information on specific programs, course access, staffing ratios, discipline, or attendance was provided, so those dimensions cannot be addressed here.
Barboursville itself is an interesting mix. The village has a National Register-listed historic district along Main Street, with older homes and a walking trail that passes a pre-Civil War toll house and other historic buildings. Barboursville Park is a large civic anchor with sports fields, fishing ponds, trails, an amphitheater, and a splash pad. At the same time, the dominant built environment outside the historic core is auto-oriented retail. The Huntington Mall, the largest indoor mall in West Virginia, and the Merritt's Creek Farm Shopping Center near the interstate are the commercial engines, and more retail development is planned along Route 60. The village's population has been roughly stable, declining only slightly in recent estimates. No fixed-route public transit was identified, so daily life is car-dependent for most families.
Housing in the school's zip code is modestly priced by national standards but above the West Virginia state benchmark. The price-to-income ratio sits in a range that suggests relative affordability for working families compared to much of the country. Rent data was not available, so rental costs cannot be characterized here. Mortgage rates at the time of this data were elevated, which affects what families actually pay month to month even when list prices look reasonable.
The district brief for Cabell County Schools returned little of lasting impact. No recent referendums, curriculum changes, property-tax shifts, or other parent-relevant developments were found, so there is nothing to report on that front.
Davis Creek is a small, community-rooted elementary school with solid early-grade math and ELA results, a fifth-grade dip worth investigating, and a science result that lags. It serves a quiet, mostly homogeneous village that blends historic charm with heavy retail activity. Families who want a small school in an affordable, car-oriented community with strong park amenities may find it fits. Those prioritizing diversity, advanced programming, or detailed data on special populations will find gaps in what is available and may want to go directly to the school for answers.
See more original research from School Decision →