The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Kingwood Elementary
Kingwood Elementary sits in the heart of Kingwood, the county seat of Preston County, and serves children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is a regular public school, part of Preston County Schools, and one of three public schools located within the Kingwood city limits, alongside Central Preston Middle and Preston High. For a family looking at early elementary options in this mountain community, the school's location is woven directly into the town rather than set apart on a sprawling campus. The county courthouse, the public library, and Preston Memorial Hospital are all nearby, which gives the school a neighborhood-centered feel.
The student body is small for a school covering this grade range, with the largest groups in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. The school's racial and ethnic composition is nearly entirely white, with only a handful of students identifying as Asian, Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. This reflects the broader character of Kingwood and Preston County, a rural mountain area where demographic diversity is limited. The data we received does not include free or reduced-price lunch counts, special education rates, or English learner figures, so we cannot characterize the school's socioeconomic mix or the scope of its special-population services from what was provided. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
On state assessments, only grades three and four produce results here, because younger grades are not tested and the school does not serve grade five or above. West Virginia's science test is administered in grades five and eight, so no science proficiency figures exist for this school. That gap reflects the grade range, not a missing result. In math, roughly half of third graders and just under half of fourth graders reached proficiency on the West Virginia General Summative Assessment. In English language arts, proficiency ran somewhat lower, with fewer than half of students in both tested grades meeting the state bar. Participation was essentially full. These are middling results for a West Virginia elementary school, neither standing out as a strength nor signaling a deep academic deficit. The ELA figures in particular sit below what most families would hope to see, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking about reading instruction, intervention groups, and how the school supports children who are below grade level in literacy.
The housing market around Kingwood is modest by national standards and somewhat below the West Virginia statewide benchmark. Typical home values in the school's zip code are well under the national figure, and the price-to-income ratio sits in a range that suggests buying a home here is more attainable than in much of the country. No rental data was available, so renters will need to look elsewhere for a sense of local market conditions. The town has seen slight population decline since the most recent census, and no major new housing developments are noted in the material we reviewed. The local economy leans on county government, the hospital, and the nearby National Guard training site at Camp Dawson, rather than on large private industry. A former bronze foundry that once anchored private employment has closed, which is part of the town's broader post-industrial adjustment.
Kingwood's civic life carries a distinctly local texture. The annual Buckwheat Festival, organized by the volunteer fire department, is a community centerpiece. The WV Northern Rail-Trail, running from Kingwood to Tunnelton along a former rail line, gives families a long greenway for walking and biking. The town's National Register Historic District and a downtown grid of local shops and a brewery give it a walkable core for a small mountain seat. These features shape the environment a young family would experience around the school.
At the district level, Preston County Schools recently added the Rowlesburg Opportunity Center, established in 2025, which changes the district's school configuration and may affect assignments and options for families in the Rowlesburg area. For Kingwood Elementary families, the most relevant transition point is the move to Central Preston Middle, located in the same town. The academic results at Kingwood Elementary are a mixed picture, with reasonable math performance and literacy results that warrant attention. The school's small size, town-centered setting, and connection to a tight rural community are its defining characteristics.
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