Summary:
Zip code 26405, encompassing the Moatsville area of West Virginia, is served by a single public school, Kasson ElementaryMiddle School, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade within the Barbour County Schools district.
For parents considering this school, the most striking finding is the dramatic difference in performance between grade levels. The 4th grade class is a clear standout, with 56.3% proficiency in math and 62.5% in English Language Arts, both figures exceeding state averages. However, this success does not carry into the middle school years. The 8th grade class posted a 0% proficiency rate in mathematics, a critical red flag, and 5th grade math proficiency plummets to just 8.3%. This suggests a significant "middle school drop-off" where students struggle as they transition from elementary to middle school coursework. Overall, the school's proficiency rates are below state averages in all subjects, though it does slightly outperform its district in math and English Language Arts, indicating the challenges are part of a broader systemic issue within the district, which ranks in the bottom 10% of West Virginia.
The school's state ranking has been volatile, fluctuating from a 0-star rating to a 2-star rating over recent years, which points to inconsistent academic achievement that is highly sensitive to the specific cohort of students. With a student-teacher ratio of 12:1 and per-student spending of $11,553, the school provides a relatively supportive environment, but the academic data reveals a need for targeted intervention, particularly in the upper grades. A notable data gap is the lack of free/reduced lunch information, which makes it difficult to fully understand the socioeconomic context. In short, while the early elementary grades show promise, parents should be aware of the severe academic struggles that appear to emerge in the middle school years.
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