Enrollment
312
West Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 540117001522
South Preston School — Tunnelton, WV
Federal NCES profile for South Preston School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 6
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Preston County Schools · West Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.7:1 West Virginia avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Preston School compares with West Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Preston School reports 312 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the West Virginia state mean of 13.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 312 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Preston County Schools spends $12,777 per pupil district-wide, below the West Virginia average of $16,253 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.1% from local sources (property taxes), 50.2% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Preston School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against West Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs West Virginia | West Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 312 | top 52% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 63% in West Virginia — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,777
per pupil, district-wide
— below West Virginia avg of $16,253
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 312 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 312 Top 52% in West Virginia — larger than 48% of 648 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 540117001522
Student demographics
White 98.1%
Two or More 1.0%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 98.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 312:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.8%
In-school suspensions 22
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Preston County Schools, which includes South Preston School.
$12,777
Per student
-21%
vs West Virginia
Avg $16,253
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 50.2%
Federal 19.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
Similar other schools in Tunnelton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Preston School
How many students attend South Preston School?
South Preston School has 312 students enrolled. It is a other school in TUNNELTON, WV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Preston School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Preston School is 14.3:1, which is 4% higher than the West Virginia average of 13.7:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Preston School?
The largest demographic group at South Preston School is White at 98.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in TUNNELTON, WV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Preston School?
South Preston School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.