Summary:
Zip code 25702 in Huntington, West Virginia, is served by two elementary schools—Highlawn Elementary School and Guyandotte Elementary School—both part of the Cabell County Schools district, which ranks in the top 15% of West Virginia districts with a 4-star rating. Together, these PK-5 schools enroll 549 students, with Highlawn being the larger of the two at 316 students compared to Guyandotte’s 233.
Academically, Highlawn generally outperforms Guyandotte in overall proficiency, posting 36.4% in Math and 45.3% in English Language Arts versus Guyandotte’s 30.8% and 39.6%, respectively. However, the two schools show opposite grade-level trends. Highlawn excels in 3rd grade Math (52.3% proficiency) but drops sharply in 4th and 5th grades, while Guyandotte struggles in 3rd grade Math (just 18.8%) but rebounds to lead in 4th grade Math (40.6%) and 5th grade Math (33.3%). In ELA, Highlawn’s 5th graders hit 52.5% proficiency—above the state average—while Guyandotte’s 4th graders reach 50%. Science is a shared weakness, with 5th grade proficiency at 27.5% for Highlawn and only 14.8% for Guyandotte, both well below the state’s 34.6%.
Despite Guyandotte’s lower student-teacher ratio (11.6:1 vs. 14.3:1) and higher per-student spending ($14,871 vs. $13,883), it still trails Highlawn in most metrics, suggesting resources alone don’t drive outcomes. Both schools rank in the bottom quarter of West Virginia elementary schools, though Highlawn improved from 334th to 273rd statewide this year, while Guyandotte’s ranking swung dramatically from 198th to 311th. For parents, Highlawn offers stronger early-grade foundations, while Guyandotte shows promise in upper grades—but both would benefit from targeted math intervention and a renewed focus on science instruction.
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