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Best Public Schools in Huntington, WV


At a glance
16
Schools
7,076
Students
2
Districts
1
5-star school
Top rankedHite Saunders Elementary School10th of 355 West Virginia elementary schools
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Biggest riser
Explorer Academy up 95 spots statewide this year
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Smallest classes
Huntington East Middle School 9.9 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
4★
3★
2★
1★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

Huntington, West Virginia, is served by 16 schools across the Cabell County Schools and Wayne County Schools districts, enrolling roughly 6,700 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The standout performer is Hite Saunders Elementary School, ranked 10th in the state with 84.5% math proficiency—more than double the district average—and 86.7% science proficiency. Meadows Elementary School and Kellogg Elementary School also excel, with Kellogg reaching 68.7% math proficiency despite its district ranking 26th in the state. At the high school level, Huntington High School leads with a 21st state ranking and 86.5% graduation rate, while Spring Valley High School posts a slightly higher 87% graduation rate.

The most dramatic trend is the decline in math proficiency from elementary (50.4% average) to middle school (29.7%) and high school (21.4%). Huntington Middle School, Huntington East Middle School, and Vinson Middle School all show math proficiency below 34%, with Vinson particularly weak in science at just 11.5%. Meanwhile, Explorer Academy improved dramatically from the 20th to 46th percentile, while Guyandotte Elementary School fell from the 44th to 12th percentile, with science proficiency dropping 20 points. ELA consistently outperforms math across all schools, with Central City Elementary School, Southside Elementary, and Spring Hill Elementary School showing the pattern clearly.

Spending varies widely, from Crossroads Academy at $25,958 per student (with a 3.9:1 ratio) to Highlawn Elementary School and Altizer Elementary School near the $11,000 range. Notably, Hite Saunders achieves top results with near-average spending ($11,695) and class sizes (13.2:1), suggesting school leadership matters more than resources. The elementary-to-middle school transition is the district's biggest challenge, with math proficiency halving and science scores collapsing—a pattern that demands targeted intervention to preserve early gains.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the West Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

Diagnostics