Preston County Schools

Preston County Schools in West Virginia serves approximately 3,165 students across 10 schools, including 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, and is ranked 29th out of 54 districts statewide. The district presents a mixed picture: while a few schools shine, others struggle significantly, and the most urgent concern is a severe math proficiency crisis at the high school level.

For parents, the standout elementary school is Bruceton School, which ranks in the top 28% of elementary schools statewide (4 stars) and posts the district’s highest math and science scores—all while spending the least per student. Aurora School is another bright spot, having jumped 107 spots in state rankings over two years, with science proficiency nearly 20 points above the state average. At the middle school level, Central Preston Middle School is a consistent 4-star performer, particularly strong in ELA. On the other end, West Preston School has declined dramatically to the 6th percentile (0 stars), with math and ELA scores far below state averages, and South Preston School also struggles, especially in middle-grade math.

The most alarming finding is at Preston High School, where only 8.5% of 11th graders are proficient in math—less than half the already-low state average of 20.6%, and unchanged for two years. Across the district, many schools show a sharp drop in math proficiency between 5th and 6th grade, suggesting the transition to middle school math is a systemic challenge. However, 8th grade ELA is a consistent strength at several schools, and the district’s small schools like Rowlesburg School and Fellowsville Elementary offer low student-teacher ratios but limited or volatile performance data. Notably, spending does not correlate with outcomes—Bruceton achieves top results with the lowest spending, while West Preston spends the least and performs worst.