Prichard Elementary School

Prichard Elementary School is a small, rural school in Prichard, WV, serving 130 students in grades PK-5 within Wayne County Schools. While the school has a favorable 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio, its overall performance has declined significantly over the past four years, dropping from a 4-star rating (79th percentile) in 2021-2022 to a 1-star rating (18th percentile) in 2025-2026.

The school's most notable strength is its 5th-grade science program. In the most recent testing year, 56.3% of 5th graders scored proficient in science—well above the state average of 34.6% and higher than nearby schools like Kellogg Elementary School (43.6%) and Ceredo-Kenova Elementary (50.6%). This consistent excellence suggests effective science instruction exists within the building. However, math and reading scores tell a different story. Overall math proficiency is just 28.1% and ELA is 31.6%, with particularly dramatic struggles in 4th grade—only 11.7% proficient in math and 17.5% in ELA, far below state averages. By comparison, Buffalo Elementary School (8.74 miles away) achieves 57.3% math proficiency, and Southside Elementary in Cabell County Schools achieves 57.8% ELA proficiency—nearly double Prichard's rate.

Perhaps most concerning is the recent decline in support for specific student groups. Students from low socio-economic backgrounds, who were served at the 52nd percentile just two years ago, now rank in the bottom 1% statewide. Male students and white students have also seen dramatic drops in their rankings. The school spends $11,247 per student—comparable to or higher than better-performing nearby schools—which suggests the issue isn't resources but how they're used. With its small size, targeted interventions could have outsized impact. The strong science results prove effective teaching is possible here; the key is replicating those strategies in math and reading before the downward trend continues.