Preston County Schools

Public school district · Preston County · West Virginia · NCES district ID 5401170

Preston County Schools spent $12,793 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 98% of the other West Virginia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $14,361). Its 10 schools enrolled 3,765 students in 2024-25; 52.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,769 per student, up 7.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87% (West Virginia: 92.6%).

Spending per student among West Virginia districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Preston County Schools in enrollment (3,497 to 4,239 students) and Preston County Schools itself.

Current spending per student, West Virginia districts closest in size to Preston County Schools, FY23Marshall County Schools $18,263; Mason County Schools $14,880; Hancock County Schools $14,820; Wyoming County Schools $14,525; Jackson County Schools $14,226; Mingo County Schools $14,081; Mineral County Schools $13,984; Randolph County $12,936; Upshur County Schools $12,908; Preston County Schools $12,793; State median, 1,000+ students $14,361.10k12k14k16k18k20kMarshall County Schools$18,263Mason County Schools$14,880Hancock County Schools$14,820Wyoming County Schools$14,525Jackson County Schools$14,226Mingo County Schools$14,081Mineral County Schools$13,984Randolph County$12,936Upshur County Schools$12,908Preston County Schools$12,793State median, 1,000+ students $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts closest in size to Preston County Schools, FY23Marshall County Schools $18,263; Mason County Schools $14,880; Hancock County Schools $14,820; Wyoming County Schools $14,525; Jackson County Schools $14,226; Mingo County Schools $14,081; Mineral County Schools $13,984; Randolph County $12,936; Upshur County Schools $12,908; Preston County Schools $12,793; State median, 1,000+ students $14,361.10k12k14k16k18k20kMarshall County Schools$18,263Mason County Schools$14,880Hancock County Schools$14,820Wyoming County Schools$14,525Jackson County Schools$14,226Mingo County Schools$14,081Mineral County Schools$13,984Randolph County$12,936Upshur County Schools$12,908Preston County Schools$12,793State median, 1,000+ students $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts closest in size to Preston County Schools, FY23Marshall County Schools $18,263; Mason County Schools $14,880; Hancock County Schools $14,820; Wyoming County Schools $14,525; Jackson County Schools $14,226; Mingo County Schools $14,081; Mineral County Schools $13,984; Randolph County $12,936; Upshur County Schools $12,908; Preston County Schools $12,793; State median, 1,000+ students $14,361.10k14k18k20kMarshall County Schools$18,263Mason County Schools$14,880Hancock County Schools$14,820Wyoming County Schools$14,525Jackson County Schools$14,226Mingo County Schools$14,081Mineral County Schools$13,984Randolph County$12,936Upshur County Schools$12,908Preston County Schools$12,793State median, 1,000+ students $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts closest in size to Preston County Schools, FY23Marshall County Schools $18,263; Mason County Schools $14,880; Hancock County Schools $14,820; Wyoming County Schools $14,525; Jackson County Schools $14,226; Mingo County Schools $14,081; Mineral County Schools $13,984; Randolph County $12,936; Upshur County Schools $12,908; Preston County Schools $12,793; State median, 1,000+ students $14,361.10k14k18k20kMarshall County Schools$18,263Mason County Schools$14,880Hancock County Schools$14,820Wyoming County Schools$14,525Jackson County Schools$14,226Mingo County Schools$14,081Mineral County Schools$13,984Randolph County$12,936Upshur County Schools$12,908Preston County Schools$12,793State median, 1,000+ students $14,361

Where the money came from

$62,146,000 in revenue: 52.3% state, 32.0% local and 15.6% federal. Total spending including $1,984,000 of capital outlay was $54,700,000, or $13,374 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Preston County Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $32,517,000; Local $19,909,000; Federal $9,720,000; total $62,146,000.
  • State$32,517,000 52%
  • Local$19,909,000 32%
  • Federal$9,720,000 16%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 49 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

4,090 students in 2022-23, 3,949 students in 2023-24, 3,765 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Preston County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,090, 2023-24: 3,949, 2024-25: 3,76502k4k6k2022-234,0902023-243,9492024-253,765
Preston County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,090, 2023-24: 3,949, 2024-25: 3,76502k4k6k2022-234,0902023-243,9492024-253,765
Preston County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,090, 2023-24: 3,949, 2024-25: 3,76502k4k6k2022-234,0902023-243,9492024-253,765
Preston County Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,090, 2023-24: 3,949, 2024-25: 3,76502k4k6k2022-234,0902023-243,9492024-253,765

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-234,090289.014.2
2023-243,949288.013.7
2024-253,765269.014.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$15,462,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,780 per student

Preston County Schools booked $15,462,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 291 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $53,134 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 48 in 100 West Virginia districts with a figure (state median $53,375, 55 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average West Virginia teacher salary at $50,315 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$11,353,00073.4%
Special education$2,735,00017.7%
Vocational$1,132,0007.3%
Other programs$242,0001.6%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,396 in 2018-19, $3,605 in 2019-20, $3,655 in 2020-21, $3,621 in 2021-22, $3,780 in 2022-23.

Preston County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,396, 2019-20: $3,605, 2020-21: $3,655, 2021-22: $3,621, 2022-23: $3,78001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3962019-20$3,6052020-21$3,6552021-22$3,6212022-23$3,780
Preston County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,396, 2019-20: $3,605, 2020-21: $3,655, 2021-22: $3,621, 2022-23: $3,78001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3962019-20$3,6052020-21$3,6552021-22$3,6212022-23$3,780
Preston County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,396, 2019-20: $3,605, 2020-21: $3,655, 2021-22: $3,621, 2022-23: $3,78001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3962019-20$3,6052020-21$3,6552021-22$3,6212022-23$3,780
Preston County Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,396, 2019-20: $3,605, 2020-21: $3,655, 2021-22: $3,621, 2022-23: $3,78001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3962019-20$3,6052020-21$3,6552021-22$3,6212022-23$3,780

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Preston County Schools scored proficient or above: 37% in reading and 29% in math, against 41.3% in reading and 32.2% in math across West Virginia. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within West Virginia, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtWest VirginiaStudents tested
Reading and language arts37%41.3%2,064
Math29%32.2%2,064

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

87% of the 275 students in Preston County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 92.6% across West Virginia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtWest Virginia
Four-year graduation rate87%92.6%
Students in the class27518,443

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

8 elementary schools, 2,419 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
West Preston School60414.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Bruceton School60315.9All free (CEP)Not Title I
Kingwood Elementary38315.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
South Preston School31213.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Terra Alta/East Preston School28312.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Aurora School14210.5All free (CEP)Not Title I
Fellowsville Elementary597.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Rowlesburg School336.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 290 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Central Preston Middle School29013.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,056 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Preston High School1,05614.7All free (CEP)Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Preston County Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Preston County Schools

  1. West Virginia districts by spending per studentPreston County Schools ranks 48 of 49 West Virginia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,793).#48 of 49
  2. Every school district in West VirginiaPreston County Schools is the number 19 by size of 61 West Virginia districts, with 4,090 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#19 of 61
  3. Jackson County SchoolsThe next larger West Virginia district: 4,135 students in fall 2022, $14,226 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,226
  4. Mineral County SchoolsThe next smaller West Virginia district: 4,023 students in fall 2022, $13,984 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,984
  5. Compare Preston County Schools with Jackson County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Preston High School, its largest high school1,056 students in 2024-25, 14.7 per teacher.1,056
  7. Teacher salary spending across West VirginiaPreston County Schools spent $53,134 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,375); spending, not a salary.$53,134
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Preston County Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Preston County Schools?
    10 schools were open in 2024-25 (8 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 3,765 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Preston County Schools spend per student?
    $12,793 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the West Virginia median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,361 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,769 per student, up 7.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Preston County Schools' money come from?
    $62,146,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.3% state, 32.0% local and 15.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Preston County Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 820 of the 4,614 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 17.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Preston County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $15,462,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,780 per student. Divided by the 291 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $53,134 per teacher, more than 48 in 100 West Virginia districts (state median $53,375). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average West Virginia teacher salary at $50,315 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Preston County Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Preston County Schools scored proficient or above: 37% in reading and 29% in math, against 41.3% in reading and 32.2% in math across West Virginia. West Virginia's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Preston County Schools?
    87% of the 275 students in Preston County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 92.6% across West Virginia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Preston County Schools' NCES district ID?
    5401170. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25