The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on George Washington Middle
George Washington Middle sits in Eleanor, a small residential town along the Kanawha River in Putnam County. The school serves grades six through eight and operates as a regular public school within Putnam County Schools. Its enrollment is modest, with the largest cohort in seventh grade. The student body is almost entirely white, with only a handful of students identifying as multiracial, Hispanic, or Black. Data on free and reduced-price lunch rates was not available, so the economic profile of the student population cannot be characterized from what was provided. The same gap applies to individualized education program rates and English learner counts, both of which were missing from the data we received.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results tell a mixed but informative story. In English language arts, the school shows real strength in the middle grades. Seventh graders posted a strong proficiency rate, and sixth graders were not far behind, with well over half of tested students reaching proficiency. Eighth grade ELA dropped off considerably, landing below half. The pattern in math was similar but lower across the board. Sixth grade math proficiency was the weakest result, with somewhere between a third and two-fifths of students reaching proficiency. Seventh grade math was the standout, with roughly half of students proficient, and eighth grade settled in between the two. Science was tested only in eighth grade, and the result there was the lowest of all reported measures, with fewer than two-fifths of students proficient. Participation rates were high across all tested grades and subjects, which means the proficiency figures reflect nearly the full student body rather than a skewed subset.
Average scale scores were not reported for any grade or subject, so it is not possible to compare how students perform relative to peers statewide on that measure. Trend data across multiple years was not available either, so there is no way to characterize whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. The data does include grade three, four, and five rows, but those show as missing because George Washington Middle does not serve those grades. The state tests those grades at the elementary level, so the gaps there reflect the school's grade band rather than a reporting failure.
The town of Eleanor gives this school a distinctive setting. It began as a New Deal subsistence homestead settlement, built for families struggling through the Great Depression, and many of the original homestead houses still stand, giving the community a planned, historic character. The town bills itself as "The Cleanest Town in West Virginia" and sits within the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area. Its civic life centers on the Red House, the local name for town hall, along Roosevelt Boulevard, parks, and community gatherings. There is little commercial street life or retail corridor. Eleanor was designed with shared community facilities rather than a traditional Main Street, and it remains primarily a quiet residential place. The Eleanor Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places recently, and the town has been working on preserving an original homestead as a museum home.
Housing in the area is affordable relative to national figures. Typical home values sit well below the national benchmark, and the price-to-income ratio is moderate. Rental data was not available. Statewide unemployment has been stable, and mortgage rates have hovered in the mid-six range. For a family considering Eleanor, the housing market is accessible, though the town's limited commercial amenities mean daily errands and services likely require a short drive to nearby communities.
We searched for recent district-level changes in Putnam County Schools that might affect families, such as curriculum shifts, funding changes, or policy updates, but found nothing of lasting impact in the available sources. The school's Title I status, magnet status, discipline data, course access details, staffing figures, and attendance information were all missing from the data we received, so those dimensions of school life cannot be described here. A parent wanting a fuller picture of student support, disciplinary climate, and program offerings would want to ask the school directly.
What the data does show is a small middle school in a tight-knit, historically rooted community, with solid ELA results in the upper middle grades, uneven math performance, and a science result that suggests room for growth. For a family drawn to a quiet residential town with a strong sense of local identity, George Washington Middle offers a straightforward public middle school experience in a place where civic life and schools sit at the center of the community rather than on its edges.
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