Summary:
Zip code 26134, serving the Belmont, WV area, is home to two public schools within the Pleasants County Schools district, which together educate roughly 501 students in grades PK-8, with no high school located in the immediate area.
For parents comparing the two schools, Pleasants County Middle School (grades 5-8) is the clear standout, showing a strong three-year improvement in its state ranking from the 32nd to the 48th percentile. It also boasts a more favorable student-teacher ratio (11.9:1) and a notable strength in science, where 34.3% of students are proficient—well above the state average of 29.3%. In contrast, Belmont Elementary School (grades PK-4) has seen a dramatic decline, dropping from the 36th to the 14th percentile in state rankings over the same period. The elementary school also spends about $1,249 more per student than the middle school, yet its math and ELA proficiency rates (34.2% and 40.8%) trail both the district and state averages, raising questions about resource effectiveness.
Both schools face challenges in core subjects, with neither meeting state averages in math or ELA. However, the middle school’s 7th-grade math program is a genuine bright spot, with 49.3% proficiency—12.6 points above the state—while the elementary school’s decline is heavily concentrated in 4th grade, where math proficiency sits 21 points below the district average. The district’s overall 3-star rating masks this internal disparity, and the lack of a local high school means students face a transition for 9th grade. Parents should monitor the middle school’s upward trajectory and investigate the elementary school’s 4th-grade instructional gaps, as well as the middle school’s successful science and 7th-grade math practices, which could offer valuable models for improvement.
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