Summary:
Zip code 25306 in Charleston, WV, is served by a single elementary school, Malden Elementary School, which enrolls 160 students in grades Pre-K through 5 and is part of the Kanawha County Schools district.
For parents considering this area, Malden Elementary offers a clear academic strength in mathematics, with 48.3% of students proficient—outperforming both the district (41.3%) and state (39.4%) by notable margins. This math advantage is consistent across grades, with 3rd graders at 52% and 5th graders at 50% proficiency. However, English Language Arts is a relative weakness, with 45% proficiency overall, trailing the district (47.7%) and state (47.6%). The exception is 5th grade ELA, where 56.3% of students are proficient, exceeding district and state averages by roughly 5-6 points. Science proficiency (31.3%) slightly beats the district (29.6%) but falls below the state (34.6%). The school maintains a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 10.6:1, which likely supports individualized instruction, and per-student spending is $12,734.
One of the most striking features is the school's ranking volatility. Malden Elementary jumped from 314th (1 star) in 2023-2024 to 98th (4 stars) in 2024-2025, then dropped to 202nd (2 stars) in 2025-2026. This 216-position swing followed by a 104-position drop is dramatic, but test scores themselves show less fluctuation, suggesting the ranking changes may stem from small sample sizes or statewide shifts rather than drastic performance changes. With only 160 students, year-to-year cohorts can vary significantly. Overall, this is a small school with strong math instruction and a favorable teacher ratio, but families should be aware of the ELA gap in lower grades and the potential for ranking instability when evaluating year-over-year progress.
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