Best Public Schools in Zip Code 26301

Zip code 26301 in Clarksburg, West Virginia, is served by 12 schools—including 5 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high, and 3 alternative schools—that collectively enroll about 3,482 students, with the vast majority belonging to Harrison County Schools, a 4-star district ranked 17th in the state, alongside the independent charter Clarksburg Classical Academy.

For parents, the standout is Robert C Byrd High School, the area’s largest school with 689 students, which made a remarkable leap from a 1-star to a 4-star rating in two years, now exceeding state averages in 11th-grade ELA (55.2% proficiency) and posting a strong 94% graduation rate. In contrast, Liberty High School boasts the highest graduation rate in the area at 99.1%, yet its math proficiency is just 2.7%—a staggering gap that raises questions about math rigor. At the elementary level, Nutter Fort Intermediate School leads in math with 45.4% proficiency, well above district and state averages, while Victory Elementary School posts the highest math score overall at 49.2%. The most concerning trend is the achievement cliff between elementary and middle school: elementary schools average roughly 45% math proficiency, but Washington Irving Middle School and Mountaineer Middle School drop to just 11–22%, with Washington Irving earning a 1-star rating and ranking in the 18th percentile.

Science proficiency is a universal weakness across all schools, ranging from 19–27%, though Nutter Fort Intermediate improved from 24.8% to 34.4% year-over-year. Alternative schools like Evolution High School serve critical populations but show extreme spending variation—$45,437 per student versus just $5,819 at United High School. Overall, ELA is a relative strength, with Robert C Byrd exceeding state averages, but the district’s inconsistent quality—from Nutter Fort’s math excellence to Liberty’s math crisis—means parents should evaluate schools individually rather than rely on the district’s overall 4-star rating.