Summary:
In zip code 26416, there is exactly one middle school, Philippi Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 and is part of the Barbour County Schools district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Philippi Middle School is facing significant academic challenges. In the 2025-2026 school year, it ranked 159th out of 161 middle schools in West Virginia, placing it in the bottom 1% of the state. Test scores are well below state averages in every subject: only 16.1% of students are proficient in math (compared to the 39.4% state average), 21.5% in English Language Arts (vs. 47.6% state average), and 24% in science (vs. 29.3% state average). The school's district, Barbour County Schools, is also struggling, ranking 52nd out of 54 districts in the state, which suggests these challenges are systemic across the county rather than isolated to one school.
One of the most concerning trends is the decline in student performance as they progress through grade levels. In math, proficiency drops sharply from 29.9% in 5th grade to just 5.6% in 8th grade, indicating a cumulative learning gap. English Language Arts proficiency is also low, peaking at 30.2% in 6th grade before falling to 16.7% in 8th grade. On a more positive note, the school's science scores are its strongest relative to the state, with only a 5.3 percentage point gap, and 5th-grade science scores actually exceed the district average. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio of 11:1 is favorable and suggests potential for individualized attention, yet it is not translating into academic success. This points to deeper issues beyond class size, such as curriculum or instructional quality. Parents should be aware that while the school has a supportive ratio, the academic outcomes indicate a critical need for intervention and support.
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