Best Public Schools in Zip Code 26847

Zip code 26847, serving the Petersburg, WV area, is home to two public schools within Grant County Schools: Petersburg Elementary School (grades PK-6) and Petersburg High School (grades 7-12), together educating roughly 1,226 students.

Petersburg Elementary School is the clear standout in this area, consistently earning 3 stars and ranking in the 58th-62nd percentile statewide. It outperforms both district and state averages in math (50.7% vs. 39.4% statewide) and ELA (52.1% vs. 47.6% statewide). The school shows particular excellence in 3rd grade math (68.5% proficiency, 14 points above the state) and 4th grade ELA (65.3%, nearly 16 points above the state). However, there is a notable red flag: 6th grade math proficiency plummets to just 25.8%, far below the state average of 35.4%, representing a dramatic drop from the strong 3rd and 4th grade performance. In contrast, Petersburg High School is in crisis, having collapsed from a 3-star rating (36th out of 105 schools) to a 0-star rating (100th out of 105) in a single year. The high school's 11th grade math proficiency is a dismal 9.5% (vs. 20.6% statewide), and science proficiency is 11.8% (vs. 23.6% statewide).

The most striking finding is the performance cliff between the two schools. While the elementary school generally exceeds state averages, by 11th grade students are performing at roughly half the state proficiency level in math and science. Science is a universal weakness across both schools, with the high school at 17.4% overall proficiency. Despite the high school's abysmal test scores, it maintains a 93.2% graduation rate, slightly above the state average—a paradox suggesting either strong support for student completion or a disconnect between proficiency standards and graduation requirements. The district's overall 1-star rating masks the elementary school's relative success, which is dragged down by the high school's poor performance. Parents should note that while the elementary school offers strong foundational education, particularly in early grades, the transition to middle and high school appears to be where students fall significantly behind, warranting close attention to the 6th grade math curriculum and the high school's recent ranking collapse.