Best Public Schools in Clarksburg, WV

Clarksburg, West Virginia is served by 10 schools—3 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high, and 3 alternative schools—that together enroll roughly 2,744 students, with the vast majority belonging to the Harrison County Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks 17th out of 54 districts in the state.

For parents, the standout choice is clearly Robert C Byrd High School, the city's largest school with 689 students. It has made a remarkable turnaround, jumping from the 25th percentile to the 70th percentile in just two years, and now leads the city with 55.2% ELA proficiency and a 94% graduation rate. By contrast, Liberty High School posts an exceptional 99.1% graduation rate but struggles mightily in math, with only 2.7% proficiency—a red flag that students may be earning diplomas without solid academic preparation. At the middle school level, both Washington Irving Middle School and Mountaineer Middle School rank in the bottom 20% statewide, with 6th grade math proficiency rates of 11.4% and 21.4% respectively—far below the 32.8% state average. Among elementary schools, Victory Elementary School shines in math (49.2% proficiency) but lags badly in reading (32.6%), while North View Elementary School shows similar ELA struggles at 35.9%.

The most striking pattern is the achievement cliff between elementary and middle school—Victory's 5th grade math proficiency (52.3%) is more than double Washington Irving's 6th grade rate (11.4%), suggesting a difficult transition. Science proficiency lags across all levels, with only Robert C Byrd matching the state average. The alternative schools—Evolution High School, Evolution Middle School, and United High School—serve just 207 students but show extreme resource disparities, with per-student spending ranging from $5,819 to $45,437. Clarksburg Classical Academy offers a separate, smaller alternative with 56 students. Overall, the district's 4-star rating is driven almost entirely by Robert C Byrd's success, while elementary literacy and middle school math remain critical weaknesses that parents should investigate closely.