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Gauley River Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 355 West Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 22% of West Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Gauley River Elementary School is a small, rural school in Craigsville, WV, serving 295 students in grades PK through 5 as part of Nicholas County Schools.

This school has shown a remarkable turnaround recently. After a very difficult 2024-2025 school year, Gauley River jumped from the 4th percentile to the 22nd percentile in statewide rankings—a significant improvement that suggests recent changes may be working. One standout area is special education: the school ranks in the top quartile statewide for serving these students, which is an exceptional strength. However, there are clear challenges. English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency is a major concern, with only 31.9% of students proficient compared to 47.6% statewide. The issue is most acute in 3rd grade, where just 17% of students meet proficiency standards. There's also a notable gender gap, with male students performing significantly better than female students. While math scores exceed both district and state averages, the school's overall performance still lags behind many nearby schools. For example, Mt. Nebo Elementary School and Mt. Lookout Elementary School rank in the 99th and 90th percentiles respectively, while Gauley River sits in the bottom quarter.

For parents, the picture is mixed but hopeful. The school clearly has dedicated staff who excel at supporting students with special needs, and the recent improvement is encouraging. However, literacy instruction needs urgent attention, particularly for girls and students from low-income backgrounds. The school's performance has been volatile over the years, swinging from the 61st percentile in 2020-2021 to the 4th percentile in 2024-2025, which suggests instability that could be tied to changing student cohorts or staff turnover. Science scores for 5th graders have also been consistently below state averages. If you're considering this school, it's worth asking about their literacy programs and what specific interventions are in place to support struggling readers, especially in the early grades.

295

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,538

Per pupil spending ?

57.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 School St
Craigsville, WV 26205-8572

(304) 742-5271

District: Nicholas County Schools

Students who attend Gauley River Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Richwood Middle School
High:	Richwood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

99.7%

African American:

0.3%

See top rated West Virginia elementary schools

Compare Gauley River Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 25th percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the West Virginia average (36% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 16 pts below the West Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg41%

West Virginia avg44%

278^th of 355

West Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of West Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Nicholas County Schools

24^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
2026	29.5	278 of 355	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.0	342 of 355	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	266 of 368	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	235 of 368	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	244 of 375	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.1	148 of 380	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.8	245 of 383	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.8	344 of 392	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.3	359 of 399	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.4	302 of 402	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	47.1	221 of 408	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2022	54.6	50 of 154	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.6	81 of 146	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	253 of 300	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.1	287 of 302	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	32.8	242 of 316	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.9	142 of 317	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.7	203 of 325	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.2	218 of 322	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.2	237 of 339	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.0	325 of 366	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.4	315 of 381	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	11 of 17	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.3	17 of 23	26.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.1	13 of 26	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.5	8 of 21	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.0	244 of 315	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	311 of 328	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	40.4	216 of 336	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.4	184 of 333	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	252 of 347	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	63.4	74 of 335	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	33.0	283 of 368	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.4	339 of 382	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	201 of 303	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	9.4	296 of 305	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	246 of 325	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	264 of 322	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.8	214 of 330	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.9	95 of 333	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	44.6	188 of 338	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.4	309 of 364	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.4	352 of 382	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	46 of 165	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	27.6	144 of 171	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.8	126 of 183	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.2	38 of 180	78.9%	★★★★☆
2019	37.0	118 of 185	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.8	176 of 258	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.8	200 of 377	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	West Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	289 of 353	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.2	345 of 353	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	32.4	273 of 367	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.0	238 of 366	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.1	248 of 373	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.7	146 of 376	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.3	239 of 373	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.4	336 of 374	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.9	348 of 382	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)72nd percentile+50 vs school

Disabled (2022)68th percentile+33 vs school

Homeless (2026)35th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)34th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile~ school

White (2026)18th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)16th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs West Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics44%+5 vs state

English Language Arts32%-16 vs state

Science26%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gauley River 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
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	57.3%	294 (99.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.5	278^th of 355 public elementary schools	21.7%		10	342^nd of 355 public elementary schools	3.7%	64	39.6	57.1	40.4		44.4	17.0	31.4	48.9		31.9	25.5	$10,538	$2,333	$8,205
Panther Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10068 Canvas Nettie Road	Nettie	26681	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 846-6808	211	15	14.0	51.1%	207 (98.1%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	77.1	55^th of 355 public elementary schools	84.5%		77.6	55^th of 355 public elementary schools	84.5%		68.8	52.4	81.8		64.6	58.1	50.0	68.2		56.8	50.0	$12,282	$2,131	$10,151
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	69.1%	325 (99.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	36	247^th of 355 public elementary schools	30.4%		26.6	294^th of 355 public elementary schools	17.2%	47	35.0	48.7	25.5	35.3	35.4	27.5	56.4	47.1	41.2	43.3	34.7	$9,504	$1,764	$7,740
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	44.7%	119 (96.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.2	189^th of 355 public elementary schools	46.8%		67.8	91^st of 355 public elementary schools	74.4%	98	77.8	63.2	41.2		61.1	61.1	36.8	23.5		40.7	17.7	$10,104	$1,669	$8,434
Cherry River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	190 Riverside Dr	Richwood	26261	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 846-6646	152	12	12.6	61.2%	146 (96.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	14.9	340^th of 355 public elementary schools	4.2%		36.7	236^th of 355 public elementary schools	33.5%	104	13.3	60.9	21.2		32.4	6.7	34.8	21.2		22.5	9.1	$12,660	$3,412	$9,248
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	51.7%	314 (94.9%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	44.3	200^th of 355 public elementary schools	43.7%		42.9	206^th of 355 public elementary schools	42.0%	6	57.6	38.6	47.9		47.2	36.4	40.9	56.3		45.6	35.4	$11,214	$1,998	$9,216
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	51.2%	64 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					38.5					53.9		$18,945	$6,143	$12,801
Mt. Nebo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Schoolhouse Ln	Mount Nebo	26679	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 872-2440	105	8	13.1	44.1%	102 (97.1%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	92.4	13^th of 355 public elementary schools	96.3%		97.9	3^rd of 355 public elementary schools	99.2%	10	84.2	75.0	76.5		78.9	68.4	68.8	76.5		71.2	47.1	$12,419	$2,274	$10,145
Webster Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	318 River Dr	Webster Springs	26288	Webster County	Webster County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 847-5321	195	17	11.5	69.3%	190 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	28.4	282^nd of 355 public elementary schools	20.6%		28.4	288^th of 355 public elementary schools	18.9%	6	30.0	44.4	18.8	16.7	28.7	40.0	55.6	37.5	41.7	44.8	31.3	$12,488	$2,021	$10,468
Zela Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	165 Country Rd	Summersville	26651	Nicholas County	Nicholas County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 872-1481	67	7	9.5	64.7%	67 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40	223^rd of 355 public elementary schools	37.2%		23.3	308^th of 355 public elementary schools	13.2%	85	35.7	40.0			35.7	35.7	70.0			46.4		$19,783	$3,942	$15,841

Frequently Asked Questions about Gauley River Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Gauley River Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Richwood Middle School
High : Richwood High School

What district is Gauley River Elementary School in?

Nicholas County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Gauley River Elementary School?

Students at Gauley River Elementary School are 100% White.

Is Gauley River Elementary School a good school?

Gauley River Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.7% of West Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Gauley River Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 295 students attended Gauley River Elementary School.

Rate Gauley River 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.