Summary:
Webster County High School is the sole high school in the Webster County Schools district, serving grades 7 through 12 in the rural community of Upperglade, West Virginia, with 489 students and a favorable 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio.
For parents, the most striking feature of this school is its paradox: a 97.5% graduation rate that far exceeds the state average of 92.8%, yet academic proficiency rates that place it near the bottom of West Virginia’s rankings. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranked 102nd out of 105 schools statewide—a dramatic fall from 69th the previous year. Math is the most critical weakness: only 10.2% of all students are proficient, and just 4.1% of 11th graders meet grade-level standards, compared to 20.6% statewide. English Language Arts proficiency is also low at 35.9% overall, with 11th graders 20 points behind their state peers. Science proficiency sits at 14.6%, roughly half the state rate. The school’s state ranking has declined from the 38th percentile (2024-2025) to the 3rd percentile (2025-2026), and it currently holds a zero-star rating.
Despite these academic struggles, the school does have some relative strengths. Seventh graders are only about 5 points behind the state in ELA, and the school’s performance in several subjects actually exceeds the district average, suggesting it is not the weakest link within an already low-performing district. With per-student spending of $11,627 and a low student-teacher ratio, resources are not obviously the barrier. The data suggests that while students are graduating, many may not be prepared for college or careers—particularly in math and science. The sharp one-year ranking drop warrants attention, and the lack of free/reduced lunch data limits a fuller understanding of socioeconomic factors. Parents should weigh the strong graduation rate against the very low proficiency scores when evaluating this school.
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