Wetzel County Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

New Martinsville, West Virginia - 8 schools

An equity score of 50/100 ranks Wetzel County Schools #12 of 56 districts in West Virginia (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,316 per pupil, Wetzel County Schools ranks #4 of 56 West Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (West Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,258
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$20,316
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wetzel County Schools operates 8 public schools serving 2,258 students, placing it among the smaller districts in West Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 3 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 Wetzel County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,316 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 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 63.4% local, 17.3% state, and 19.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 50/100, ranked #12 of 56 in West Virginia against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 203.4:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 33.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.8% White, 0.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is New Martinsville School, with a diversity index of 12.1/100.

Its largest campus is New Martinsville School, enrolling 837 students (38% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hundred High School, at 66 students, a 13x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

New Martinsville School accounts for 37.1% of all Wetzel County Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Wetzel County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Wetzel County Schools school enrollment varies 13× across entities

Wetzel County Schools school enrollment ranges from 66 students (lowest) to 837 students (highest), a spread of 771 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Wetzel County Schools student-counselor ratio is 203:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Wetzel County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 33.9% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

19.2%
Federal
17.3%
State
63.4%
Local

Funding Equity

50
Equity Score
12 / 56
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Wetzel County Schools.

White 96.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 1.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 6.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Wetzel County Schools's schools, below the West Virginia average of 17.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 New Martinsville School 12.1
  2. 2 Paden City Elementary School 11.1
  3. 3 Paden City High School 10.2
  4. 4 Magnolia High School 6.1
  5. 5 Short Line School 5.3

Programs & Resources

2 / 8
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
203.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Wetzel County Schools

School Enrollment
New Martinsville School
837
Short Line School
364
Magnolia High School
287
Long Drain School
204
Paden City Elementary School
155
Paden City High School
152
Valley High School
124
Hundred High School
66

How Wetzel County Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The West Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Taylor County Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Hardy County Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Morgan County Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Barbour County Board of Education Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Lewis County Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Wetzel County Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in West Virginia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Kanawha County Schools
23,864 students · 67 schools · $13,227/pupil
Compare vs Wetzel County Schools →
Berkeley County Schools
19,856 students · 32 schools · $12,704/pupil
Compare vs Wetzel County Schools →
Wood County Schools
11,663 students · 27 schools · $12,407/pupil
Compare vs Wetzel County Schools →
Cabell County Schools
11,473 students · 26 schools · $14,538/pupil
Compare vs Wetzel County Schools →
Monongalia County Schools
11,297 students · 18 schools · $13,751/pupil
Compare vs Wetzel County Schools →

Compare Wetzel County Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Kanawha County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Wetzel County Schools?

Wetzel County Schools has 8 schools, including 5 combined, 3 high. Total enrollment is 2,258 students.

How much does Wetzel County Schools spend per student?

Wetzel County Schools spends $20,316 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #12 in West Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Wetzel County Schools?

Wetzel County Schools students are 96.8% White, 0.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wetzel County Schools?

Wetzel County Schools has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #12 out of 56 districts in West Virginia.