Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 24716

Zip code 24716 in Bud, West Virginia, is served by a single elementary school, Herndon Cons Elementary & Middle School, which is part of Wyoming County Schools and serves grades PK through 8 with a total enrollment of 181 students.

As the only school in this rural zip code, Herndon Cons Elementary & Middle School offers a unique PK-8 configuration that consolidates elementary and middle grades in one facility. The school maintains a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 9.7:1 and spends approximately $13,970 per student, which is notably high for the region. However, the school has experienced a dramatic decline in its state ranking, falling from the 35th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 5th percentile in 2025-2026. Overall proficiency rates show the school trailing state averages in mathematics (35.5% vs. 39.4%) and English Language Arts (31.6% vs. 47.6%), with the ELA gap being particularly concerning at 16 percentage points below the state average. Science is the relative bright spot, with the school achieving 37.9% proficiency compared to the state's 29.3%.

The most striking finding is the school's exceptional 8th-grade performance, where math proficiency reaches 64.3%—a remarkable 30.1 percentage points above the state average—and science proficiency hits 50%, more than double the district average. This suggests strong upper-grade instruction, possibly benefiting from small class sizes. Conversely, 5th grade represents a critical weakness, with only 19.7% proficiency in both math and ELA, roughly half the state average. Given the small enrollment (approximately 18 students per grade), individual student performance can cause significant year-to-year swings, making some comparisons potentially misleading. Parents should note that while the school struggles with early-grade literacy and math foundations, it demonstrates notable strengths in upper-grade science and mathematics, and the favorable student-teacher ratio provides opportunities for individualized attention despite the overall academic challenges.