Summary:
Zip code 26041, serving the Moundsville, WV area, is home to three elementary schools within the Marshall County Schools district, collectively educating 835 students across pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
For parents, the standout choice in this area is clearly Washington Lands Elementary School. It is the only school in the zip code with a 3-star rating, and it outperforms both the district and state averages in math and ELA. Its 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 50% is nearly double the district average and a full 30 percentage points higher than Central Elementary School, which is the lowest-performing school here with a 1-star rating. Central shows a troubling pattern of declining proficiency from 3rd to 5th grade in both math and ELA, suggesting students struggle as they progress. Meanwhile, McNinch Primary School serves the youngest learners (PK-2) and has the highest per-student spending and a favorable student-teacher ratio, but no test score data is available to measure its academic effectiveness.
A key takeaway is the spending-performance paradox: Central spends the most per student ($16,782) and has the smallest class sizes, yet achieves the worst results, while Washington Lands spends the least ($12,356) and achieves the best outcomes. This suggests factors like teaching quality and school culture matter more than simple resource allocation. For families, the data presents a clear choice: Washington Lands offers a consistent, high-quality PK-5 education, while the alternative path through McNinch and then Central involves a transition to a school that is currently underperforming. Note that socioeconomic data is missing, and the spending figures are from 2018-2019, so current conditions may vary.
Thank you for your feedback!