The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Math. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lizemore Elementary School
Lizemore Elementary School sits on its own dedicated road in Lizemores, a very small unincorporated community in Clay County, West Virginia. The community straddles WV Route 16 about ten miles southwest of the town of Clay, spread across nearly thirty square miles of hilly Appalachian terrain. There is no town center, no sidewalks, no commercial district. Scattered single-family homes line rural roads and hollows. The post office on Clay Highway serves as the main civic touchpoint. The school itself is one of the few institutions in the area, operating as a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through grade five under Clay County Schools.
The school is very small for its grade band. Total enrollment sits in the range of roughly ninety students, with class sizes at each grade level that can be counted on two hands. The student body is nearly entirely white, with only a handful of students identifying as another race or as two or more races. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the economic profile of the student population cannot be characterized from the provided figures. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing. The surrounding community, though, is plainly rural Appalachian, with very little local employment. The Business Census counted only a handful of business establishments employing about ten people total in the entire ZIP code, meaning most working residents commute elsewhere in Clay County or toward the Charleston metropolitan area.
On state assessments, the picture is limited but what is available is straightforward. Third grade results in both math and English language arts were suppressed, which often reflects the very small number of tested students at this school. Fourth grade math and English language arts proficiency each landed at about a quarter of tested students meeting the proficient bar. Fifth grade showed lower results, with fewer than a quarter proficient in math, a single student reaching proficiency in English language arts, and roughly fifteen percent proficient in science. Participation was full across every tested grade. Average scale scores were not reported. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a decline, an improvement, or a steady state. Grades six through eight appear in the data but carry no results, which is expected because the school does not serve those grades. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school directly about its approach to reading and math instruction and what supports are in place for students who are below grade level, since the available proficiency rates suggest many students are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
The school does not have a graduation rate, and that gap is structural rather than a missing report. Lizemore is an elementary school. It feeds into upper grades elsewhere in Clay County Schools. No data on course access, discipline, staffing ratios, attendance, or special programs was provided, so this account cannot speak to those areas.
The housing market around Lizemores is modest. Typical home values sit well below the West Virginia state benchmark and far below the national figure. The price-to-income ratio is below the national average, which points to relative affordability for buyers who have income, though the area's economic base is thin. Home values have declined modestly year over year, consistent with the broader pattern in rural Appalachian West Virginia. No significant growth, new housing development, or commercial expansion was found for the community, and as an unincorporated place it has no municipal planning authority. Rental data was not available.
What this school offers is a very small, close-knit elementary setting in a quiet, deeply rural community. Families drawn to that kind of environment, with an acceptance of the tradeoffs in program breadth and measured academic outcomes, may find it a fitting place for the early grades. Those seeking richer academic data, specialized programming, or a more walkable, amenity-rich setting will likely look elsewhere in the county or region.
See more original research from School Decision →