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Kingwood, West Virginia - 10 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Preston County Schools #37 of 56 districts in West Virginia (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,280 per pupil, Preston County Schools ranks #55 of 56 West Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (West Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
4,090
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$12,280
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Preston County Schools operates 10 public schools serving 4,090 students, placing it among the smaller districts in West Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 elementary, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Preston County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,280 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 6 of 56 West Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how West Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.1% local, 50.2% state, and 19.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 31/100, ranked #37 of 56 in West Virginia against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 291.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 40.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 98.2% White, 0.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Terra Alta/East Preston School, with a diversity index of 7.6/100.
Its largest campus is Preston High School, enrolling 1,056 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rowlesburg School, at 33 students, a 32x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Preston High School accounts for 25.8% of all Preston County Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Preston County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Preston County Schools school enrollment varies 32× across entities
Preston County Schools school enrollment ranges from 33 students (lowest) to 1,056 students (highest), a spread of 1,023 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Preston County Schools student-counselor ratio is 291:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Preston County Schools is typically wider than the Preston County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Preston County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 40.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Preston County Schools has 10 schools, including 1 high, 7 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,090 students.
How much does Preston County Schools spend per student?
Preston County Schools spends $12,280 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #37 in West Virginia.
What is the demographic composition of Preston County Schools?
Preston County Schools students are 98.2% White, 0.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Preston County Schools?
Preston County Schools has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #37 out of 56 districts in West Virginia.