The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Webster Springs Elementary School
Webster Springs Elementary School sits on River Drive in the county seat of Webster County, a small Appalachian town where the Elk River meets its Back Fork. The school serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school in the Webster County district. Its enrollment is modest and its student body is almost entirely white, with only a handful of children identifying as Hispanic or of two or more races. Free-or-reduced-price lunch counts were not reported in the data provided, and figures for special education and English learner populations were also missing, so the economic and support profile of the student body cannot be characterized from what is available. A parent looking into this school may want to ask the front office directly about those figures.
On state assessments, the school's results tell a mixed and grade-dependent story. In math, younger grades perform reasonably well: third and fourth graders show about half the tested students reaching proficiency, which is a solid result for a small rural school. By fifth and sixth grade, though, math proficiency drops sharply, falling well below where the earlier grades stand. English language arts follows a similar but less dramatic arc, with fourth and fifth graders performing in a middling range and third and sixth graders trailing behind. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows a low share of students meeting proficiency. Full participation was reported across all tested grades, so the results reflect the full student body rather than a partial sample. Average scale scores were not available, which limits the picture to proficiency rates alone. No multi-year trend data was available beyond the current year, so a parent cannot tell from this data whether these patterns are stable or shifting over time.
Because the school ends at sixth grade, there are no seventh or eighth grade results, no graduation rate, and no high school level indicators. Those gaps reflect the grade band served, not a missing or weak result. The school does not have a charter or magnet designation. Title I status, discipline data, course access information, staffing ratios, and attendance figures were all absent from the available data, leaving several dimensions of school environment that a parent would need to inquire about directly.
Webster Springs itself is a compact town clustered around a court square with county and state government offices, a public library, grocery stores, pharmacies, and a handful of restaurants. The town was historically a summer resort built around salt sulfur springs and later became a service center for the coal and timber industries. Publicly reported sources describe long-term population decline tied to the loss of mining jobs in the mid-twentieth century, and no major housing developments or growth initiatives were identified. Seasonal festivals bring brief bursts of activity to town, including a nature tour in May, a kayaking and canoe racing weekend in April, a burgoo cook-off in October, and a woodchopping contest on Memorial Day. Outdoor recreation around the Elk River is part of everyday life here.
Housing in the area is inexpensive relative to state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits far below the West Virginia statewide figure and well below the national figure, and recent data shows a modest decline in values over the past year. Rental data was not available. For a family considering a move, this is a place where homeownership is attainable on a modest income, but the market has limited upward momentum and the broader community has been contracting rather than growing.
The district brief for Webster County Schools turned up little in the way of recent parent-relevant changes, so there is nothing to report on strategic priorities, program shifts, or leadership transitions. A neighbor comparison and program offerings were not provided for this school.
What emerges from the assembled data is a small, homogenous elementary school in a quiet, declining county seat, with respectable early-grade math results, middling reading performance, and a clear weakness in upper-elementary math and science. Families drawn to rural life, river access, and affordability may find the setting appealing. Those concerned about the upper-grade academic slide or wanting a fuller picture of student support services will want to visit and ask the school directly.
See more original research from School Decision →