Green Bank Elementary-Middle School

Green Bank Elementary-Middle School is a small, rural PK-8 school in Green Bank, WV, serving 204 students within the Pocahontas County Schools district, located in the unique National Radio Quiet Zone.

The most encouraging news is the school's recent academic rebound. After hitting a low point in the 2023-2024 school year, the school has climbed from the bottom 6% of West Virginia schools to the 27th percentile in the most recent data. This two-year turnaround suggests recent changes may be taking hold. Math is a clear relative strength, with overall proficiency (44.6%) slightly above the state average (39.4%). The 8th-grade math score is particularly impressive at 52.2%, outperforming the state average by 18 points. However, English Language Arts remains a significant concern, with proficiency at 34.7%—nearly 13 points behind both the district and state averages. This gap is especially visible in early grades, where 3rd-grade ELA proficiency sits at just 18.8% compared to the state's 44.6%.

The school also shows a distinct pattern in middle school. Performance dips in 6th and 7th grades—for example, 7th-grade ELA is at 21.1%—but rebounds strongly in 8th grade, particularly in math. This suggests students may face a transition challenge but receive effective preparation for end-of-year assessments. The school invests heavily in its students, spending over $15,000 per pupil and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of about 10:1. Yet, recent data shows the school ranks in the bottom 20th percentile for key subgroups including low-income, male, female, and white students. This is a shift from earlier years when the school earned high marks for serving its special education population. While the overall upward trend is promising, ensuring these gains reach all students equitably—especially in reading—will be critical for sustaining progress.