Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 25845

Zip code 25845 is home to just one public school, Glen Fork Elementary & Middle School, a small rural PK-8 campus serving 159 students within the Wyoming County Schools district.

For parents considering this area, Glen Fork Elementary & Middle School presents a mixed but intriguing picture. The school's overall proficiency rates are notably strong: 48.2% in math, 59.0% in English Language Arts, and 40.7% in science—all well above both the district and state averages. With a favorable 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $14,029, the school invests heavily in its students. However, the most striking feature is the dramatic split between grade levels. The middle school grades are exceptional, with 7th-grade ELA proficiency at 81.3% and 8th-grade ELA at 71.4%, far exceeding state norms. In contrast, 5th grade is a clear trouble spot, with ELA proficiency at just 30.8% and science at 23.1%, both significantly below state averages. This "tale of two schools" suggests that the instructional strategies working in the upper grades are not being effectively replicated in the elementary years.

The school's state ranking has also been volatile, climbing to the 67th percentile in 2023-2024, then dropping to the 49th percentile, and most recently falling to the 33rd percentile (239th out of 355 schools). This recent decline is puzzling given the strong middle school scores, pointing to potential issues in the lower grades or changes in testing cohorts. While the school is a rural success story in many respects—outperforming its district and often the state—the sharp 5th-grade weakness and declining trajectory are critical concerns. For parents, this means a school that can deliver excellent results in middle school but may require extra attention and support for students in the elementary grades, particularly around 5th grade. The high spending and low class sizes suggest resources are available; the challenge lies in applying the successful middle school approach more consistently across all grade levels.