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Sun Valley Elementary School

Q: Is Sun Valley Elementary School a good school?

Sun Valley Elementary School ranks 92 nd of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

92^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Sun Valley Elementary School is a small, rural school in Lerona, WV, serving 117 students in Pre-K through 5th grade within the Mercer County Schools district. What makes this school stand out is its remarkable turnaround: after ranking in the bottom third of West Virginia elementary schools just a few years ago, it has climbed to a 4-star rating and now sits in the 74th percentile statewide—a dramatic improvement that places it well ahead of most nearby peers.

The most impressive story at Sun Valley is how much students grow between 3rd and 5th grade. While 3rd graders score below state averages (about 29% proficient in math and reading), by 5th grade they leap to 67% proficiency in math and an outstanding 83% in reading—far exceeding state averages of 44% and 51%. This "growth school" model means students who start behind are catching up and surging ahead. Science is another signature strength, with 5th graders hitting 56% proficiency, more than 20 points above the state average and the highest among all nearby schools. The school also excels with students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 96th percentile statewide for this group in 2024-2025, and boys perform notably well too.

Compared to other local elementary schools, Sun Valley is a clear standout. It far outpaces Oakvale School (6th percentile) and Spanishburg (25th percentile), while trailing only the region's top performer, Athens Elementary School (88th percentile). Impressively, Sun Valley achieves these results while spending less per student ($11,174) than many neighboring schools. The main area for continued focus is 3rd grade performance, where earlier intervention could help students start strong. Given the school's small size, year-to-year scores can fluctuate, but the overall trajectory—and the remarkable growth students show by 5th grade—makes Sun Valley a compelling choice for families in the Lerona area.

117

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,630

Per pupil spending ?

35%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5281 Hinton Road
Lerona, WV 25971

(304) 384-7441

District: Mercer County Schools

Students who attend Sun Valley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Pikeview Middle School
High:	Pikeview High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.6%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Hispanic:

0.9%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Sun Valley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the West Virginia average (53% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Mercer County Schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg39%

West Virginia avg44%

92^nd of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 21 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	66.2	92 of 355	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	79.3	51 of 355	85.6%	★★★★☆
2024	52.2	163 of 368	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.2	238 of 368	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.1	265 of 375	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.9	192 of 380	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.4	108 of 383	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	61.0	142 of 392	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.7	213 of 399	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.6	189 of 402	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	48.8	205 of 408	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.3	156 of 422	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.9	147 of 428	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.8	117 of 426	72.5%	★★★★☆
2011	45.9	236 of 426	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.1	157 of 427	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.0	191 of 420	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	38.6	210 of 317	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.0	178 of 366	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.7	183 of 381	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	88.4	13 of 328	96.0%	★★★★★
2024	30.1	267 of 336	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	71.3	60 of 333	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.3	91 of 368	75.3%	★★★★☆
2017	53.9	163 of 382	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	98 of 303	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	112 of 325	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	150 of 322	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.3	231 of 330	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.6	138 of 333	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.2	70 of 338	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	65.4	106 of 364	70.9%	★★★★☆
2017	51.1	183 of 382	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	44.1	125 of 218	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	20.2	369 of 377	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	66.6	94 of 353	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	77.2	54 of 353	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.1	164 of 367	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.5	268 of 366	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.7	274 of 373	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.0	211 of 376	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.6	86 of 373	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	143 of 374	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.9	197 of 382	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)96th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)68th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2017)43rd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2023)34th percentile~ school

Special Education (2017)2nd percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts56%+8 vs state

Science56%+21 vs state

Mathematics50%+11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sun Valley Elementary School

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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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2021)	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 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 All Grades	WV Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sun Valley Elementary School	Public	K-5	5281 Hinton Road	Lerona	25971	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 384-7441	117	8	14.6	35.0%	113 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	66.2	92^nd of 355 public elementary schools	74.1%		79.3	51^st of 355 public elementary schools	85.6%	41	28.6	63.6	66.7		50.0	28.6	63.6	83.3		56.0	55.6	$11,630	$1,698	$9,933
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	44.8%	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
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	42.8%	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
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	50.5%	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
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	74.1%	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
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	58.5%	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
Oakvale School	Public	PK, KG-5	2503 Goodwins Chapel Rd	Princeton	24739	Mercer County	Mercer County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 898-2541	168	16	10.8	56.7%	149 (88.7%)	4 (2.4%)	6 (3.6%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	15.7	335^th of 355 public elementary schools	5.6%		32.6	257^th of 355 public elementary schools	27.6%	78	23.1	33.3	40.0		32.1	15.4	40.0	40.0		32.1	8.0	$14,537	$2,199	$12,337
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	66.9%	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
Jumping Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6617 Beech Run Rd	Jumping Branch	25969	Summers County	Summers County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 466-6005	86	9	9.5	63.7%	81 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.8%)	55.1	150^th of 355 public elementary schools	57.7%		48.7	174^th of 355 public elementary schools	51.0%	24	55.6	50.0			61.2	61.1	42.9			63.3		$16,069	$3,371	$12,697
Ghent Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2750 Flat Top Rd.	Ghent	25843	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 787-3631	201	18	11.1	45.7%	196 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	72.6	71^st of 355 public elementary schools	80.0%		69.6	83^rd of 355 public elementary schools	76.6%	12	65.4	58.6	52.4		59.2	42.3	62.1	66.7		56.6	52.4	$12,292	$789	$11,503

Frequently Asked Questions about Sun Valley Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Sun Valley Elementary School?

Students at Sun Valley Elementary School are 97% White, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Sun Valley Elementary School in?

Mercer County Schools

What schools do graduates of Sun Valley Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sun Valley Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pikeview Middle School
High : Pikeview High School

Is Sun Valley Elementary School a good school?

Sun Valley Elementary School ranks 92^nd of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sun Valley Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 117 students attended Sun Valley Elementary School.

Rate Sun Valley Elementary School!

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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.