Summary:
Zip code 26804, encompassing the rural community of Circleville, West Virginia, is served by a single school: North Fork Elementary School, a small PK-6 institution with just 103 students and an excellent 9.1:1 student-teacher ratio.
As the only school in the area, North Fork Elementary is the sole option for families, and it presents a mixed but intriguing profile. The school is part of the highly regarded Pendleton County Schools district, which ranks 10th out of 54 in West Virginia. Academically, the school shows notable strengths in early grades and English Language Arts. For instance, 3rd grade math proficiency (78.6%) and 4th grade ELA (66.7%) significantly outpace state averages. Overall, the school's math (47.8%) and ELA (54.4%) proficiency rates both exceed state benchmarks. However, a clear pattern of decline emerges in upper grades: 6th grade math proficiency plummets to just 16.7% (compared to the state's 35.4%), and 5th grade science is a critical weakness at only 8.3% proficiency—a quarter of the state average. This suggests the school excels at foundational skills but struggles to sustain growth in later elementary years.
The most dramatic story is the school's ranking volatility. After dropping to a 1-star rating (29th percentile) in 2024-2025, North Fork surged to a 4-star rating (75th percentile) in 2025-2026—a 161-position jump in a single year. While encouraging, this swing, combined with the school's small cohort sizes (roughly 15-20 students per grade), means individual student performance can heavily skew results. With per-student spending of $15,461, the school is well-resourced, yet outcomes remain inconsistent across subjects and grade levels. For parents, this is a school with strong early-grade instruction and solid ELA results, but one that requires close monitoring of upper-grade math and science, as well as whether the recent ranking improvement represents sustainable growth or a statistical anomaly.
Thank you for your feedback!