Based on 2025 state test data, here are the schools with the lowest English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency scores in West Virginia.
The list is primarily composed of schools within McDowell, Randolph, Logan, and Summers counties. The ELA score is based on the percentage of students who are at least proficient in reading.
Bottom 10 Schools by 2025 ELA Score
(Sorted in descending order, from highest to lowest score)
School County ELA/Reading Proficiency Summers County Comprehensive High School Summers 37% River View High School McDowell 37% Man Senior High School Logan 32% Harman Elementary/High School Randolph 32% Tygarts Valley Middle/High School Randolph 28% Mount View High School McDowell 28% Southside School McDowell 27% Kimball Elementary School McDowell 22% Welch Elementary School McDowell 22% Iaeger Elementary School McDowell 22% Based on 2025 state test data, here are the schools with the lowest English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency scores in West Virginia.
The list is primarily composed of schools within McDowell, Randolph, Logan, and Summers counties. The ELA score is based on the percentage of students who are at least proficient in reading.
📊 Key Insights
Geographic Concentration: The schools with the lowest ELA proficiency rates are heavily concentrated in a few counties. McDowell County, in particular, had a district-wide average reading proficiency of just 27%, with many of its schools falling at or below that number.
District-Wide Challenges: Other counties with notably low ELA proficiency averages included Randolph County (which was ranked 55th out of 55 districts), Logan County (34% district-wide proficiency), and Summers County (30% district-wide proficiency).Based on the 2025 assessment data, the schools with the lowest ELA proficiency rates are concentrated in a few specific counties, particularly McDowell and Randolph.
While your previous request identified the "bottom 10" schools, the data reveals that these schools are symptomatic of larger, district-wide and regional challenges. Here are further insights into the factors contributing to these low ELA scores.
1. The Statewide Picture: A Growing Divide
The 2024-2025 state assessment results show a complex picture.
Statewide Improvement: On average, West Virginia's ELA scores are improving. The state saw a 3% increase in ELA proficiency, bringing the statewide average to 48%. In total, 52 of the 55 counties showed improvement.
The Widening Gap: This statewide average makes the performance of the bottom-ranked schools even more alarming. With proficiency rates as low as 22%, these schools are not just underperforming; they are being left behind as the rest of the state moves forward.
Targeted State Intervention: The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is attempting to address these gaps with new policies. The "Third Grade Success Act" (HB 3035) is the most significant, implementing a "Science of Reading" curriculum and providing new resources for early K-3 literacy. However, it also includes a measure that students not proficient in reading by the end of third grade may be retained, a policy set to begin in the 2026-2027 school year.
2. District in Crisis: The Case of Randolph County
Randolph County, which includes bottom-10 schools like Tygarts Valley Middle/High and Harman Elementary/High, was ranked 55th out of 55 districts in the state.
According to public statements from the county superintendent, the district's academic performance is a symptom of a severe, multifaceted crisis:
Financial State of Emergency: The WVDE placed Randolph County Schools in a State of Emergency in June 2025 due to its financial situation. The district faces a possible state takeover.
Severe Budget & Enrollment Collapse: The district is facing a $2.8 million budget shortfall. This is driven by long-term, declining enrollment (a loss of ~$1 million in state aid from the past year alone) and a further loss of ~428 students to homeschooling or the Hope Scholarship (a potential $3.5 million revenue loss).
Failure to Consolidate: The district is spending too much on personnel and maintenance for aging, under-utilized schools built decades ago for a much larger student body. A plan for school consolidation has failed to pass.
Resource Drain: The superintendent directly cited a "lack of resources" for critical areas, including "growing discipline needs, disruptions, and lack of resources... [for] mental health."
For Randolph County, low ELA scores are a direct reflection of a district struggling with financial insolvency, demographic shifts, and an inability to adapt its infrastructure.
3. Regional Challenges: McDowell, Logan, & Summers Counties
The other schools on the "bottom 10" list are almost all located in McDowell, Logan, and Summers counties. These southern "coalfield" counties share a different, but related, set of challenges.
Chronic Absenteeism: This is a primary barrier to learning. While the 2025 state average for chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year) was 22.8%, high-poverty districts like those in southern West Virginia have historically seen much higher rates. It is impossible for students to achieve ELA proficiency if they are not consistently in the classroom.
Socioeconomic Factors: These districts are in the most economically distressed regions of West Virginia, which are experiencing significant population loss and lagging economic growth. Reports on West Virginia's economy highlight that these "underlying demographics remain a major limiting factor" and are linked to poor health outcomes and drug abuse, all of which directly impact a child's ability to learn.
District-Wide Low Performance: The school-level data reflects the district-wide averages. McDowell County's overall reading proficiency was just 27%, and Logan County's was 34%—both far below the 48% state average. The schools on the bottom-10 list are pulling these district averages down, but the districts themselves are struggling as a whole.
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