Kanawha County Schools

Kanawha County Schools is a West Virginia district of 60 schools serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, with a 3-star rating that places it 22nd out of 54 districts statewide.

This district presents a striking achievement divide. At the top, Holz Elementary School ranks 2nd in the state with 90.6% math proficiency, while Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary sits near the bottom at 351st with just 28.9% math proficiency. Similarly, George Washington High School is the state's top high school with a 93.6% graduation rate, while Riverside High School ranks 97th with only 8% of 11th graders proficient in math. Middle schools follow the same pattern: John Adams Middle School ranks 8th statewide, whereas West Side Middle School ranks 158th. Some bright spots include Nitro Elementary School, which jumped 115 spots in one year, and Chamberlain Elementary School, which climbed from rank 216 to 69.

District-wide, math and ELA proficiency slightly exceed state averages, but science is a clear weakness—8th-grade science proficiency (27.8%) trails the state, and several schools report rates below 10%. High school math is also concerning, with a district average of just 24.1% proficiency. Interestingly, graduation rates don't always align with test scores: Riverside High School graduates 93.8% of students despite low academics, while Capital High School has the lowest graduation rate (77.1%) but better test performance. Spending also varies widely—from $10,179 per student at George Washington High School to $15,642 at Sharon Dawes Elementary School—yet higher spending doesn't guarantee better results. Small schools like Kenna Elementary School (180 students) rank among the best, while the year-round model at Piedmont Year-Round Education hasn't produced above-average scores. For parents, this district offers exceptional options in certain neighborhoods but requires careful school selection, especially for science and high school math.