Summary:
Zip code 26201 is home to just one high school, Buckhannon Upshur High School, which serves grades 9-12 and is part of the Upshur County Schools district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is a clear disconnect between graduation and academic proficiency. The school posts a strong graduation rate of 92.3%, nearly matching the state average of 92.8%. However, state test scores for 11th graders tell a different story. Only 11.4% of students are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 20.6%, and just 17.4% are proficient in science versus the state's 23.6%. English Language Arts performance is better but still trails the state, with 41.1% proficiency versus 51.2%. This means that while most students are earning diplomas, a large majority are not meeting state academic benchmarks in core subjects, particularly in math and science.
The school's state ranking reflects these challenges. It currently holds a 1-star rating and sits in the bottom 20th percentile of all West Virginia high schools for the 2025-2026 school year. Its district, Upshur County Schools, ranks 31st out of 54 districts, earning a 2-star rating. On a more positive note, the school's state ranking has improved slightly over the past three years, moving from the 14th to the 20th percentile. Test scores have also remained remarkably stable year-over-year, suggesting consistent—though low—performance. The student-teacher ratio is 16.8 to 1, and per-student spending was $11,720, though that figure is from 2018-2019 and may be outdated. Parents should be aware that the school faces significant academic challenges, especially in math, despite its high graduation rate.
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