Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Mercer Elementary

Public Grades 3-5

271^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 24% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Mercer Elementary serves 258 students in grades 3-5 in Princeton, WV, as part of the Mercer County Schools district, with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.5:1.

Mercer Elementary has experienced significant performance swings over the past decade, with its state percentile ranking fluctuating dramatically from the 57th percentile in 2015-2016 to the 11th percentile in 2024-2025, before recovering slightly to the 24th percentile in 2025-2026. The most pressing concern is 5th grade mathematics, where only 21.6% of students are proficient—less than half the state average of 44%. This represents a sharp drop from 4th grade (40.7% proficiency), suggesting a possible transition challenge or curriculum misalignment at the 5th grade level. By comparison, nearby Straley Elementary, which serves the same grades and is located just half a mile away, achieves 56.8% math proficiency overall. However, Mercer shows genuine strengths in other areas: 5th grade science proficiency (37.8%) exceeds both district and state averages, and 5th grade English Language Arts proficiency (55.4%) actually surpasses the state average. The school also demonstrates a positive ELA trajectory, with proficiency improving from 27.8% in 3rd grade to 55.4% by 5th grade.

Within the district, Mercer ranks 9th out of 10 comparable elementary schools in overall percentile and math proficiency, though its ELA performance ranks 7th. The school's special education program saw a dramatic decline from the 78th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 28th percentile in 2025-2026, a 50-point drop that warrants attention. The school's volatility—with percentile swings of 30+ points in consecutive years—suggests either high student mobility, inconsistent instructional practices, or small sample sizes amplifying year-over-year changes. Parents considering Mercer should note that while math achievement is a significant concern, particularly at the 5th grade level, the school demonstrates real strengths in science and upper-grade reading that could serve as foundations for improvement.

258

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,492

Per pupil spending ?

72.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

1200 Mercer St
Princeton, WV 24740-3032

(304) 425-3160

District: Mercer County Schools

Students who attend Mercer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Princeton Middle School
High:	Princeton Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.5%

Two or more races:

12.4%

African American:

7.0%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Mercer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 57th percentile in 2016 → 24th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the West Virginia average (37% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 33 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg39%

West Virginia avg44%

271^st of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to bottom 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Mercer County Schools

31^st of 55Mercer County Schools among West Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	271 of 355	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	316 of 355	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.9	162 of 368	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.3	217 of 368	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.3	213 of 375	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.4	237 of 380	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.1	270 of 383	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	337 of 392	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.4	272 of 399	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	54.8	173 of 402	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.2	218 of 408	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.0	159 of 422	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	34.2	319 of 428	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.1	293 of 426	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.1	281 of 426	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.3	248 of 427	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.7	255 of 420	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	27.1	154 of 187	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2022	63.8	32 of 154	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	52.6	55 of 146	62.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	52.5	38 of 98	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	218 of 300	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	259 of 302	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.4	144 of 316	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.5	184 of 317	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	154 of 325	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.7	199 of 322	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.6	168 of 339	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.9	248 of 366	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.6	263 of 381	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	37.7	102 of 156	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	38.8	15 of 23	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.3	11 of 26	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.3	9 of 21	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.2	196 of 315	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.4	233 of 328	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.0	191 of 336	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	201 of 333	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.7	182 of 347	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	195 of 335	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.7	347 of 368	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	42.2	229 of 382	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.8	231 of 303	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	264 of 305	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.4	170 of 325	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	185 of 322	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	205 of 330	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.0	213 of 333	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.2	264 of 338	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	331 of 364	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	38.4	250 of 382	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	14 of 18	22.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.3	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.2	14 of 17	17.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.3	11 of 15	26.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.5	4 of 14	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	37.7	19 of 27	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.5	154 of 218	29.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.3	119 of 165	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.8	98 of 171	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.9	40 of 183	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	55.3	70 of 180	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	17.7	175 of 185	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	247 of 258	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	33.7	283 of 377	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.8	269 of 353	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.4	308 of 353	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.7	159 of 367	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	204 of 366	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	194 of 373	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.7	222 of 376	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.9	278 of 373	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	318 of 374	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	40.4	249 of 382	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)79th percentile+36 vs school

English Language Learner (2017)61st percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile+14 vs school

Homeless (2025)35th percentile+24 vs school

Hispanic (2017)35th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)28th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)27th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)24th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)22nd percentile~ school

African American (2017)18th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts42%-6 vs state

Science38%+3 vs state

Mathematics32%-7 vs state

4.0

1 rating

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Mercer Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Mercer Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2026)							WV Assessment English Language Arts (2026)							WV Assessment Science (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WV Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics All Grades	WV Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts All Grades	WV Assessment Science 5th Grade	WV Assessment Science 8th Grade	WV Assessment Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mercer Elementary	Public	3-5	1200 Mercer St	Princeton	24740	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 425-3160	258	21	12.5	72.5%	205 (79.5%)	18 (7.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (12.4%)	31.7	271^st of 355 public elementary schools	23.7%		20.8	316^th of 355 public elementary schools	11.0%	45	33.3	40.7	21.6				32.3	27.8	46.9	55.4				42.1	37.8			$11,492	$2,550	$8,942
Straley Elementary School	Public	3-5	810 Straley Ave	Princeton	24740	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 425-3173	172	14	12.7	78.5%	134 (77.9%)	13 (7.6%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (12.2%)	48.9	180^th of 355 public elementary schools	49.3%		56.1	144^th of 355 public elementary schools	59.4%	36	74.1	43.4	51.7				56.8	50.0	45.3	44.8				46.8	22.8			$12,308	$2,880	$9,427
Princeton Primary School	Public	K-2	180 Tiger Dr	Princeton	24739	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 487-3904	448	37	12.1	76.3%	340 (75.9%)	31 (6.9%)	10 (2.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (14.1%)								(n/a)																		$13,572	$1,813	$11,759
Melrose Elementary School	Public	K-5	2121 Athens Rd	Princeton	24739	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 425-3757	239	15	15.9	51.5%	210 (87.9%)	4 (1.7%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.8%)	64.6	98^th of 355 public elementary schools	72.4%		61.9	112^th of 355 public elementary schools	68.5%	14	63.6	42.9	67.6				58.6	47.7	40.0	70.3				52.6	48.7			$9,779	$1,159	$8,620
Glenwood School (K-8)	Public	K-8	1734 Glenwood Park Rd	Princeton	24739	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 425-5970	614	46	13.3	58.6%	544 (88.6%)	27 (4.4%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.0%)	74.5	64^th of 355 public elementary schools	82.0%		61.2	116^th of 355 public elementary schools	67.3%	52	68.8	57.1	59.7	45.2	36.1	64.6	55.4	50.0	58.0	68.1	48.4	50.7	56.1	55.3	52.8	40.2	46.1	$10,851	$1,827	$9,024
Mountain Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	977 Blue Prince Rd	Bluefield	24701	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 324-7316	273	25	10.9	79.9%	219 (80.2%)	16 (5.9%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (12.5%)	50.9	173^rd of 355 public elementary schools	51.3%		30.1	276^th of 355 public elementary schools	22.3%	103	48.0	46.0	50.0				47.9	36.0	54.1	55.9				50.0	41.2			$13,868	$2,949	$10,919
Spanishburg	Public	PK, KG-5	8544 Beckley Road	Spanishburg	25922	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 425-5854	159	15	10.9	69.2%	151 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.0%)	32.7	267^th of 355 public elementary schools	24.8%		24.5	306^th of 355 public elementary schools	13.8%	39	52.2	46.7	25.0				40.3	26.1	53.3	41.7				38.7	29.2			$16,798	$2,775	$14,023
Athens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 S State Street	Athens	24712	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 384-9229	233	19	12.5	57.9%	216 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.4%)	82	41^st of 355 public elementary schools	88.5%		91.5	14^th of 355 public elementary schools	96.1%	27	73.5	72.7	62.5				69.2	55.9	60.6	67.5				61.7	42.5			$11,880	$2,070	$9,810
Montcalm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	838 Rock Rd	Rock	24747	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 589-5202	256	21	12.1	71.9%	249 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	35.6	250^th of 355 public elementary schools	29.6%		29	282^nd of 355 public elementary schools	20.6%	32	53.3	20.0	32.4	50.0			37.3	40.0	22.5	35.3	56.7			37.3	26.5			$11,319	$2,247	$9,073
Lashmeet/Matoaka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5709 Matoaka Rd	Matoaka	24736	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 467-8282	181	15	12.4	79.6%	177 (97.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	37.4	237^th of 355 public elementary schools	33.2%		42.3	211^th of 355 public elementary schools	40.6%	26	39.1	60.0	33.3				46.5	21.7	40.0	66.7				40.9	27.8			$14,071	$2,525	$11,546

Frequently Asked Questions about Mercer Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mercer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mercer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Princeton Middle School
High : Princeton Senior High School

What district is Mercer Elementary in?

Mercer County Schools

Is Mercer Elementary a good school?

Mercer Elementary ranks in the bottom 23.7% of West Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Mercer Elementary?

Students at Mercer Elementary are 79% White, 12% Two or more races, 7% African American, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Mercer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 258 students attended Mercer Elementary.

Rate Mercer Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WVWest Virginia Elementary School Rankings

WVWest Virginia District Rankings

Schools in Princeton, WV

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mercer Elementary!

Latest West Virginia data All new data »

2019–20 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

2025–26 WV Assessment scoresAug 12, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 9, 2026

2024–25 WV Assessment scoresAug 13, 2025

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.