Best High Schools in Zip Code 25033

Zip code 25033, located in the rural community of Buffalo, West Virginia, is served by a single high school: Buffalo High School, which enrolls 382 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the highly-rated Putnam County Schools district, ranked #2 out of 54 districts in the state.

For parents, the most striking feature of Buffalo High School is its perfect 100% graduation rate, which exceeds both the district average (98.2%) and the state average (92.8%). This achievement suggests a strong commitment to ensuring every student completes their education. However, academic performance presents a more mixed picture. In the most recent 2025-2026 school year, the school's 11th graders posted a 52.7% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, which is above the state average of 51.2%, and a 29.7% proficiency rate in math, which is well above the state's 20.6%. The clear weakness is science, where only 13.5% of students are proficient—a dramatic drop from 29.1% the previous year and far below the state average of 23.6%. This volatility, combined with a favorable 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio, suggests that small class sizes allow for personalized attention, but individual student performance can significantly swing school-wide statistics.

While Buffalo High School generally outperforms state averages, it consistently trails its own district's impressive benchmarks across all subjects. For instance, district math proficiency is 35.2% and science is 29.9%, compared to the school's 29.7% and 13.5%, respectively. The school's ranking has also fluctuated, from a standout #14 in the state (2023-2024) to #39 most recently. The notable year-over-year improvement in math (from 19.8% to 29.7%) indicates targeted interventions may be working, while the flat ELA scores and concerning science decline point to areas needing attention. Ultimately, this is a school that excels at graduating students and offers solid instruction in core subjects, but parents should be aware of the science challenges and the gap between this school and the exceptional performance found elsewhere in Putnam County Schools.