Summary:
Zip code 24716 is a small, rural area in Bud, WV, home to just one school: Herndon Cons Elementary & Middle School, which serves students in grades PK through 8 within the Wyoming County Schools district.
For parents considering this school, the most urgent concern is its rapid academic decline. In just two years, the school has fallen from the 35th percentile in state rankings to the bottom 5% of all West Virginia schools, now holding a 0-star rating. While the school maintains a favorable 9.7:1 student-to-teacher ratio and spends a substantial $13,970 per student, overall proficiency is weak. Across all grades, only 35.5% of students are proficient in math and 31.6% in English Language Arts—the latter sitting a full 16 points below the state average. The elementary grades are especially troubling, with 5th grade math and ELA proficiency at just 19.7%, meaning only 1 in 5 students is on grade level. Third grade math (25%) and ELA (25%) also lag significantly behind state benchmarks.
However, there is a notable bright spot: the 8th grade. These students dramatically outperform both the school's younger grades and the state, with 64.3% proficiency in math (30 points above the state average) and 50% in science (20.7 points above). This suggests either exceptional middle school instruction or a strong cohort effect. Additionally, science is a relative strength school-wide, with 37.9% proficiency exceeding both the district (23.1%) and state (29.3%). The school also outperforms its district in 8th grade math by 29 points. Given the severe struggles in grades 3-6 and the alarming two-year decline, parents should seek clarity on instructional changes and intervention plans, particularly for elementary students, while recognizing that the middle school years show genuine promise.
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