Public schools in West Virginia

The NCES directory lists 676 public schools operating in West Virginia in 2024-25; 630 of them reported 239,277 students, averaging 13.3 students per teacher, tied for 32nd with Pennsylvania and South Dakota of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Kanawha County Schools, with 23,067 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools630393 elementary, 109 middle, 110 high, 18 other
Students239,2770.5% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher13.3U.S. 15.3

West Virginia has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

West Virginia ranks 32nd of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Louisiana13.5
  2. Pennsylvania13.3
  3. South Dakota13.3
  4. West Virginia13.3
  5. Rhode Island13.2
  6. Nebraska13.1
  7. Kansas12.9

Eight in ten larger West Virginia districts spent between $12,936 and $16,381 per student

Among the 49 West Virginia districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $12,936 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $16,381; the median was $14,361. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, West Virginia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2349 values from $12,158 to $22,500; ; state median $14,361.$12,936$16,381the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2349 values from $12,158 to $22,500; ; state median $14,361.$12,936$16,381the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2349 values from $12,158 to $22,500; ; state median $14,361.$12,936$16,381the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,361
Current spending per student, West Virginia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2349 values from $12,158 to $22,500; ; state median $14,361.$12,936$16,381the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,361

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 42.9% of the West Virginia students tested met the state's reading standard and 34.4% its math standard. West Virginia writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare West Virginia's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 92.6% of 18,443 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the West Virginia almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Morgantown High School, 1,754 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Valley High School, 7.1 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Doddridge County Schools, $22,500 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Brooke County Schools, $67,484 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Man Middle School, 6.2% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Elm Grove Elementary School, 66 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Pendleton County Schools, 59.8 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in West Virginia

  1. Kanawha County Schools23,067
  2. Berkeley County Schools19,942
  3. Cabell County Schools11,188
  4. Monongalia County Schools11,142
  5. Wood County Schools11,096
  6. Raleigh County Schools10,350
  7. Harrison County Schools9,358
  8. Putnam County Schools8,516

Every West Virginia school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Charleston11,716 students26 schools
  2. Martinsburg11,176 students17 schools
  3. Parkersburg7,842 students16 schools
  4. Morgantown10,750 students16 schools
  5. Huntington7,076 students16 schools
  6. Wheeling4,816 students13 schools
  7. Princeton4,778 students11 schools
  8. Beckley4,055 students10 schools
  9. Clarksburg2,688 students9 schools
  10. Fairmont4,165 students8 schools
  11. St. Albans2,796 students7 schools
  12. Hurricane3,615 students7 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about West Virginia's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in West Virginia?
    The NCES directory lists 676 operating in 2024-25; 630 of them reported students: 393 elementary, 109 middle, 110 high and 18 other, enrolling 239,277 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in West Virginia?
    13.3 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in West Virginia?
    Kanawha County Schools, with 23,067 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does West Virginia spend per public-school student?
    $14,523 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

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

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .