Best Public Schools in Follansbee, WV

Follansbee, West Virginia, is served by two elementary schools within the Brooke County Schools district, which together educate 429 students in grades K-4, with no middle or high schools located within the city limits.

For parents, the standout school in this area is clearly Brooke Intermediate School North, which serves grades 3-4. This school has shown remarkable progress, jumping from the 64th percentile to the 86th percentile in state rankings over just two years. Its mathematics program is exceptional, with 73% of students proficient compared to the state average of 39.4%—nearly double the state rate. This strength is consistent across both 3rd and 4th grades, indicating a systemic approach to math instruction. English Language Arts performance is also above state averages (55.2% vs. 47.6%), though there is a notable gap between math and ELA scores. Meanwhile, Brooke Primary School North serves the district's youngest learners in grades K-2 with a larger enrollment of 257 students. While no test data is available for this school since state assessments begin in 3rd grade, it plays a critical role in building foundational skills. Both schools maintain favorable student-teacher ratios (13.7:1 and 12.5:1), allowing for personalized attention.

One interesting finding is the enrollment drop of 33% between the primary school (257 students) and the intermediate school (172 students), which may warrant investigation into family mobility or school choice patterns. Additionally, the district spends 5.5% more per student at the primary level ($13,669 vs. $12,921), reflecting a philosophy of investing in early education. The district itself is ranked 13th out of 54 in West Virginia with a 4-star rating, placing it in the top quarter of districts statewide. While the intermediate school's math scores far outpace district averages, its 4th grade ELA scores (53.8%) fall slightly below the district average (54.0%), suggesting a targeted area for improvement. Overall, Follansbee's two-school structure demonstrates that smaller communities can achieve exceptional academic results, particularly in mathematics, while maintaining strong district-wide support.