Pendleton County

The four schools in Pendleton County serve 2,130 students from elementary through high school. In 2025–2026, results varied notably by school and subject: across 36 school test results, 25 were below state rates, one matched the state, and the average gap was 4 points below. The clearest area-wide takeaway is that most results remain below the state, despite some strong school- and subject-specific outcomes.

Northern Elementary School had the strongest overall test profile, with an average state-relative gap of about 1 point above the state; it led Southern Elementary School in seven of 10 matched results. Northern’s fourth-grade math score was 55%, compared with Southern’s 25%, and its fourth-grade reading score was 61%, compared with 39%. SchoolDigger ranked Northern in the 51st percentile statewide, ahead of Southern at the 34th, Phillip Sharp Middle School at the 32nd, and Pendleton County High School at the 29th. Phillip Sharp’s eighth-grade writing was a standout at 68%, 20 points above the state; the high school had the weakest average test gap, 7 points below the state.

Results improved modestly overall: the average gap narrowed from 6 points below the state in 2024–2025 to 4 points below in 2025–2026. Southern improved by about 5 points and Phillip Sharp by 6, while Northern’s average gap fell by 6 points from its prior-year level. The elementary schools also differ in context: in 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible rates were 59% at Northern and 64% at Southern, while student-teacher ratios were 15.9 and 14.8, respectively; these are observations, not explanations for their results.