Summary:
Zip code 24801, located in the heart of West Virginia’s coal country, is home to just one high school, Mount View High School, which serves students in grades 6 through 12 within the McDowell County Schools district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Mount View High School is facing serious academic challenges. The school ranks 104th out of 105 high schools in West Virginia, placing it in the bottom 1% statewide. Its graduation rate of 80% falls well short of the state average of 92.8%. Test scores are a major concern: only 14% of students are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 39.4%, and science proficiency sits at just 10.2% versus the state’s 29.3%. The school does show a relative bright spot in English Language Arts, where 38.9% of students are proficient—actually exceeding the district average of 33.7%—and 8th graders post a 50% proficiency rate, which beats the state average. However, this strength fades dramatically by 11th grade, when ELA proficiency drops to 30.2% and math falls to just 7.9%, suggesting a steep decline in student performance as they advance through the upper grades.
Despite spending $12,728 per student—a substantial investment—the school’s outcomes remain among the lowest in the state, indicating that challenges extend beyond funding. The school’s state ranking has also worsened over the past three years, moving from 109th out of 111 to its current position. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.7, class sizes are manageable, but the combination of low proficiency rates, a declining trajectory, and a graduation rate far below state norms points to a school in need of significant intervention. Parents should weigh these factors carefully, particularly if they have students approaching the high school years, where the data shows the most pronounced academic struggles.
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