Tygarts Valley Middle/High School

Tygarts Valley Middle/High School in Mill Creek, WV, is a combined school serving 396 students in grades 6 through 12 within the Randolph County Schools district.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that this school faces significant academic challenges, but it also has some notable strengths. State assessment scores are well below both district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. The school's state ranking has consistently placed it in the bottom 10% of West Virginia high schools over the past decade. When compared to Elkins High School, the other high school in the district about 13 miles away, the gap is stark. In the most recent rankings, Tygarts Valley placed 103rd out of 105 schools, while Elkins ranked 60th. This difference is especially pronounced in 11th-grade testing, where only 23.3% of Tygarts Valley students are proficient in English Language Arts compared to 45.6% at Elkins, and just 7% are proficient in Science versus 19.9% at Elkins.

However, there are some positive aspects worth noting. The school maintains a strong graduation rate of 90%, showing that most students do stay on track to earn their diplomas. Additionally, the student-to-teacher ratio of 12.3 is much lower than Elkins' 17.5, meaning students likely benefit from smaller class sizes and more individual attention. There are also bright spots in specific areas, such as 6th-grade English Language Arts, where 43.9% of students are proficient—actually exceeding the district average. That said, there are concerning patterns, including a dramatic drop in math proficiency from 14.6% in 7th grade to just 3.5% in 8th grade, and the school ranked last in the state for serving students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Parents should be aware that while the school excels at keeping students enrolled through graduation, academic proficiency—particularly in middle school math and upper-grade subjects—is an area that needs serious attention.