Talcott Elementary School

Talcott Elementary School is a small, rural school in Talcott, WV, serving 160 students in grades PK-5 as part of Summers County Schools. The school has made a remarkable turnaround this year, jumping from the bottom 5% of West Virginia elementary schools to the 28th percentile—a gain of 83 ranking positions in a single year.

The most encouraging news for parents is that this improvement is reaching students who need it most. In 2025-2026, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds jumped from the 13th percentile to the 41st percentile, a dramatic 34-point gain. Talcott now outperforms its district average in every subject: math proficiency is 40.9% versus the district's 25.2%, and English Language Arts is 43.9% versus 38.4%. The school also shows strong literacy growth as students advance—5th graders score 24 percentage points higher in ELA than 3rd graders. With a favorable 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio, the school has the structural advantages of a small learning environment. Compared to nearby schools, Talcott's math proficiency (40.9%) is close to the state average and exceeds Hinton Area Elementary (31.4%), though it still trails higher-performing neighbors like Ghent Elementary (59.2%) and Smoot Elementary (65.1%).

However, significant challenges remain. The school has a widening gender gap—female students rank in the 21st percentile while male students rank in the 4th percentile, and boys' performance has declined for three straight years. Science proficiency, while above the district average at 25%, remains nearly 10 points below the state average and has fluctuated wildly year to year. The school also spends less per student ($10,794) than many peers yet outperforms Alderson Elementary, which spends $3,500 more per student. Talcott is at a pivotal moment—the recent gains show what's possible, but sustaining momentum will require focused attention on boys' achievement and stabilizing science instruction.