The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Math. The lowest is 52% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Stanaford Elementary School
Stanaford Elementary School sits on Stanaford Road in Beckley, the county seat of Raleigh County and the regional hub for southern West Virginia. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within Raleigh County Schools. With an enrollment that is modest for its grade band, Stanaford draws from a community where the economy has shifted from its historical coal mining base toward retail, service, tourism, and healthcare. Beckley hosts multiple hospitals, university campuses, and cultural institutions such as Tamarack Marketplace and the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, all within a city that sits at the junction of Interstates 64 and 77 and U.S. 19. Publicly reported sources describe the population as relatively stable over recent decades.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black students, students of two or more races, and a handful of Asian and Hispanic students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the economic profile of the enrolled families cannot be characterized from what was provided. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was also missing. A parent wanting a fuller picture of student support services may want to ask the school directly about those figures.
Academic results from the 2024-25 West Virginia General Summative Assessment are the strongest part of what is available, and they are genuinely strong in mathematics. Fourth-grade math proficiency stands well above what most West Virginia elementary schools post, and fifth-grade math is similarly high. Third-grade math is solidly proficient, though the lower of the three grades tested. English language arts results are more mixed: third and fourth grade land in a respectable range, while fifth-grade ELA dips to a bare majority proficient. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows just over half of students reaching proficiency. Participation was full across every tested grade and subject. Average scale scores were not reported, so only proficiency rates are available. No multi-year trend data was provided, which means there is no way to characterize whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady. This is a school with clear math strength and uneven literacy and science outcomes, and a parent may want to look into how reading instruction and science enrichment are structured, especially for students approaching the upper elementary grades.
Because Stanaford ends at fifth grade, there are no sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-grade assessment results and no graduation rate. Those gaps reflect the grade band the school serves rather than any missing reporting.
The housing market around Stanaford is notably affordable. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below the West Virginia state benchmark and far below national levels, and rents are similarly modest. A typical mortgage payment runs a bit higher than typical rent, but both are low relative to most of the country. Home values have dipped slightly year over year, while rents have risen modestly. For families buying or renting near the school, the cost of living is among the more accessible in the state. The area's affordability pairs with Beckley's role as a regional center for healthcare and higher education, which anchors employment even as the broader region continues adjusting to the long decline of coal.
Beyond academics and housing, the available data thins out. No information was provided on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, Title I status, or locale classification. No program offerings were listed. The district brief for Raleigh County Schools turned up little on recent parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, facility investments, or tax measures, so there is nothing to report there. A family evaluating Stanaford has a strong read on tested academic performance and housing costs, but would need to go directly to the school for details on class sizes, support services, enrichment programs, and day-to-day school climate.
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