Summary:
Zip code 26452, encompassing the Weston, WV area, is home to just one elementary school, Peterson-Central Elementary School, which serves grades PK-5 within the Lewis County Schools district.
With only one school in the area, all attention falls on Peterson-Central Elementary School, which serves 476 students. The school is currently facing significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of all elementary schools in West Virginia. Its state ranking has been consistently low, sitting at the 7th percentile (331st out of 355 schools) for the 2025-2026 school year, a slight improvement from the 6th percentile the year prior. Proficiency rates lag considerably behind state averages: only 27% of students are proficient in Math compared to the state's 39.4%, and 34.7% are proficient in English Language Arts versus the state's 47.6%. Science proficiency for 5th graders is also below the state mark at 29% versus 34.6%.
Despite the overall struggles, there are a few notable takeaways for parents. The most concerning data point is a sharp decline in 4th-grade Math, where proficiency drops to just 22.4%, a steep fall from the 3rd-grade level of 32.8%. This suggests a potential hurdle in the transition to more complex concepts. On a more positive note, 5th-grade ELA shows relative strength at 41.4% proficiency, marking a 9-point improvement from the previous grade. Additionally, 5th-grade Science scores improved significantly year-over-year, jumping from 22.8% to 29%. Interestingly, the school spends a substantial $10,881 per student, which is a considerable amount that has not yet translated into high academic outcomes. While the school's trajectory has been concerning, these pockets of growth in upper grades offer a glimmer of hope for improvement.
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