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Birch River Elementary School

Q: Is Birch River Elementary School a good school?

Birch River Elementary School ranks 248 th of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

248^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Birch River Elementary School is a small public elementary school in Birch River, West Virginia, serving 78 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Nicholas County Schools district, which is ranked 25th out of 55 school districts in the state.

Academically, Birch River Elementary School has struggled compared to state and district averages, ranking 248 out of 355 West Virginia elementary schools with a 2-star rating. The school's proficiency rates in math and English language arts are generally lower than the district and state. However, the school has shown strengths in supporting specific student subgroups, such as ranking 31 out of 381 elementary schools for female students in the 2016-2017 school year.

While Birch River Elementary School faces academic challenges, it has a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending compared to the nearby Summersville Elementary School. The school's resource allocation and staffing patterns may be contributing factors to its performance, and further analysis could help identify areas for improvement and strategies to better support student learning.

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,690

Per pupil spending ?

51.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

379 Birch River Rd
Birch River, WV 26610-8202

(304) 649-2651

District: Nicholas County Schools

Students who attend Birch River Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Summersville Middle School
High:	Nicholas County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

100.0%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Birch River Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2013 → 30th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the West Virginia average (43% vs 50% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg47%

West Virginia avg50%

248^th of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 40% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Nicholas County Schools

25^th of 55Nicholas 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
2025	35.2	248 of 355	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	230 of 375	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.9	118 of 380	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.1	223 of 383	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.7	144 of 392	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.6	131 of 399	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.0	172 of 402	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.4	243 of 408	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	26.8	359 of 422	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	48.4	212 of 428	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	30.5	350 of 426	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	59.5	133 of 426	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	30.4	350 of 427	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	51.5	209 of 420	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2018	73.4	68 of 366	81.4%	★★★★☆
2017	81.1	31 of 381	91.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2018	53.4	161 of 368	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.6	95 of 382	75.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2018	49.2	177 of 364	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	37.1	263 of 382	31.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2017	44.0	196 of 377	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	253 of 353	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.3	237 of 373	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.0	137 of 376	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.9	215 of 373	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.6	142 of 374	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.0	133 of 382	65.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2018)81st percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)56th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2018)51st percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2017)48th percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)28th percentile~ school

By subject vs West Virginia (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts46%~ state avg

Mathematics41%-11 vs state

5.0

1 rating

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3★0

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1★0

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Schools Near Birch River Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2025)				WV Assessment English Language Arts (2025)				WV Assessment Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 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 Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Birch River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	379 Birch River Rd	Birch River	26610	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 649-2651	64	7	9.1		64 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.2	248^th of 355 public elementary schools	30.1%					(n/a)	36.4	45.5			36.4	54.6				$14,690	$2,923	$11,767
Little Birch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	55 Little Birch Rd	Sutton	26601	Braxton County	Braxton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 765-2042	83	10	8.7		75 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	49.4	173^rd of 355 public elementary schools	51.3%		24.6	310^th of 368 public elementary schools	15.8%	137	50.0	50.0			41.7	57.1				$13,595	$2,771	$10,823
Frametown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	65 Jeanie Ellis Dr	Frametown	26623	Braxton County	Braxton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 364-5526	146	10	14.6		145 (99.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.1	152^nd of 355 public elementary schools	57.2%		42.2	222^nd of 368 public elementary schools	39.7%	70	57.9	37.5	31.3		57.9	45.8	62.5		43.8	$12,714	$2,583	$10,132
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	288 N Hill Rd	Sutton	26601	Braxton County	Braxton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 765-5202	166	11	15.0		161 (97.0%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	80.9	45^th of 355 public elementary schools	87.3%		89.1	22^nd of 368 public elementary schools	94.0%	23	66.7	66.7	46.7		62.5	71.4	60.0		53.3	$12,543	$3,463	$9,080
Davis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	113 5th St	Gassaway	26624	Braxton County	Braxton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 364-5291	147	12	12.2		142 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	35.5	244^th of 355 public elementary schools	31.3%		25.7	303^rd of 368 public elementary schools	17.7%	59	43.8	39.1	43.5		37.5	47.8	34.8		34.8	$12,061	$2,504	$9,557
Glade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	25 Mill St	Cowen	26206	Webster County	Webster County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 226-5353	328	22	15.1		325 (99.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	26.6	294^th of 355 public elementary schools	17.2%		28.1	290^th of 368 public elementary schools	21.2%	4	51.3	24.5	36.7	13.3	28.2	42.9	46.7	35.6	26.7	$11,427	$2,080	$9,348
Glade Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7950 Webster Rd	Summersville	26651	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 872-2882	124	8	15.5		119 (96.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67.8	91^st of 355 public elementary schools	74.4%		62.2	116^th of 368 public elementary schools	68.5%	25	65.0	47.6	85.7		45.0	28.6	85.7		64.3	$10,254	$1,081	$9,172
Gauley River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 School St	Craigsville	26205	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 742-5271	295	20	14.7		294 (99.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10	342^nd of 355 public elementary schools	3.7%		33.4	266^th of 368 public elementary schools	27.7%	76	31.7	28.0	18.9		26.8	32.0	29.7		16.2	$11,712	$2,045	$9,667
Flatwoods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	142 Flatwoods Corner Rd	Flatwoods	26621	Braxton County	Braxton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 765-5821	109	10	10.9		101 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.5%)	29.3	278^th of 355 public elementary schools	21.7%		11.1	359^th of 368 public elementary schools	2.4%	81	50.0	23.1	29.4		57.1	38.5	29.4		23.5	$11,745	$1,982	$9,763
Summersville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	108 McKees Creek Rd	Summersville	26651	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 872-1421	331	24	13.7		314 (94.9%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	42.9	206^th of 355 public elementary schools	42.0%		42.1	224^th of 368 public elementary schools	39.1%	18	51.2	54.9	38.5		37.2	47.1	46.2		31.6	$11,966	$1,729	$10,237

Frequently Asked Questions about Birch River Elementary School

How many students attend Birch River Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 64 students attended Birch River Elementary School.

What district is Birch River Elementary School in?

Nicholas County Schools

What schools do graduates of Birch River Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Birch River Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Summersville Middle School
High : Nicholas County High School

Is Birch River Elementary School a good school?

Birch River Elementary School ranks 248^th of 355 West Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Birch River Elementary School?

Students at Birch River Elementary School are 100% White.

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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.