Summary:
Matoaka, West Virginia, is served by a single public elementary school, Lashmeet/Matoaka Elementary School, which enrolls 181 students in grades Pre-K through 5 and is part of the Mercer County Schools district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that this small, rural school shows a clear split in academic strengths. The school's overall math proficiency (46.5%) beats both the district (35.4%) and the state (39.4%), driven largely by an exceptional 4th-grade class where 60% of students are proficient in math—far above the state average of 49.2%. The 5th-grade ELA performance is also a standout, with 66.7% proficiency compared to 51% statewide. However, English Language Arts overall (40.9%) trails the state (47.6%), and this is heavily impacted by a struggling 3rd-grade cohort, where only 21.7% are proficient in ELA. Science is a weak point, with 5th-grade proficiency at 27.8%, below both the district (33.4%) and state (34.6%).
One notable pattern is the dramatic drop in math between 4th and 5th grade—from 60% proficiency down to 33.3%—which suggests either a difficult curriculum transition or a weaker cohort moving up. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4:1, which supports individualized attention, yet this advantage does not consistently translate into top-tier results across all subjects. The school holds a 2-star rating and has ranked between 211th and 245th out of 355 West Virginia schools over the past three years. Per-student spending was $13,550 in 2018-2019. In short, parents should expect strong math instruction in the middle grades and excellent 5th-grade reading, but should be aware that early-grade ELA and 5th-grade science need attention.
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