@@@ v. Scores Model

 

This report analyzes the relationship between school funding (per-pupil expenditure) and academic performance (ELA and Math scores) for the 2025 fiscal year across several West Virginia school districts, using data from the provided financial and score masters.

Analysis of Selected Schools by County

The following table summarizes the financial resources and academic outcomes for representative schools. Financial data includes the Total Per-Pupil Expenditure (which combines state, federal, and local funding), while academic data reflects the percentage of students meeting proficiency standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

School Name	Total Per-Pupil Funding	ELA Score	Math Score
Barbour County
Junior Elementary	$19,800 11	0.61 22	0.60 33
Kasson Elementary/Middle	$15,868 44	0.54 55	0.47 66
Philippi Middle School	$18,183 77	0.45 88	0.40 99
Berkeley County
Burke Street Elementary	$21,648 1010	0.67 1111	0.52 1212
Rosemont Elementary	$17,776 1313	0.65 1414	0.69 1515
Martinsburg North Middle	$18,386 1616	0.47 1717	0.35 1818
Boone County
Ashford-Rumble Elementary	$18,864 1919	0.68 2020	0.65 2121
Whitesville Elementary	$21,849 2222	0.49 2323	0.45 2424
Sherman Junior High	$15,939 2525	0.60 2626	0.47 2727
Cabell County
Hite Saunders Elementary	$16,755 2828	0.78 2929	0.86 3030
Altizer Elementary	$19,145 3131	0.55 3232	0.57 3333
Huntington Middle	$17,022 3434	0.59 3535	0.45 3636

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Key Findings and Highlights

• Correlation Between Funding and Performance: There is no uniform correlation between high per-pupil spending and high test scores across all schools. For example, in Barbour County, Junior Elementary has the highest per-pupil funding ($19,800) and also achieves the highest academic scores in the district (0.61 ELA / 0.60 Math)^37373737. Conversely, Whitesville Elementary in Boone County has significantly higher funding ($21,849) but lower proficiency scores (0.49 ELA / 0.45 Math) compared to its neighbor, Ashford-Rumble Elementary ($18,864 funding; 0.68 ELA / 0.65 Math)^38383838.

• Grade Level Disparities: Elementary schools generally show higher proficiency scores than middle and high schools, despite varying funding levels³⁹³⁹. For instance, in Cabell County, Hite Saunders Elementary ($16,755 per pupil) significantly outperforms Huntington Middle ($17,022 per pupil) in both ELA and Math^40404040.

• Outperforming Resource Allocation: Hite Saunders Elementary in Cabell County stands out as a high-performing school with relatively modest per-pupil spending ($16,755), achieving exceptional scores of 0.78 in ELA and 0.86 in Math^41414141.

• High-Cost, Low-Performance Challenges: Philippi Middle School in Barbour County receives a high per-pupil allocation of $18,183—driven largely by high federal per-pupil support of $6,353—yet reports some of the lowest proficiency rates in its district (0.45 ELA / 0.40 Math)^42424242.

District Level Summaries

• Barbour County: District total per-pupil spending is $15,737, with overall proficiency at 0.51 for ELA and 0.47 for Math^43434343.

• Berkeley County: This larger district averages $15,306 per pupil, with all-school proficiency levels of 0.55 for ELA and 0.48 for Math^44444444.

• Boone County: Spending is higher at $18,002 per pupil, while district-wide proficiency is 0.55 for ELA and 0.46 for Math^45454545.

  Based on the 2025 fiscal and academic data, the following report details the relationship between funding and performance for schools in Pocahontas County.

  Analysis of Pocahontas County Schools

  The table below summarizes the Total Per-Pupil Expenditure (Total Site) and proficiency levels in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

  School Name	Total Per-Pupil Funding	ELA Score	Math Score
  Hillsboro Elementary	$22,398 11	0.52 2	0.44 3
  Marlinton Elementary	$18,746 44	0.46 5	0.48 6
  Green Bank Elementary-Middle	$20,388 77	0.53 8	0.55 9
  Pocahontas County Middle	$20,958 1010	0.47 11	0.41 12
  Pocahontas County High	$19,306 1313	0.59 14	0.35 15
  District Total (Average)	$21,059 1616	0.51 17	0.45 18

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  Key Findings and Highlights

  • Funding Trends: Pocahontas County has a relatively high average per-pupil expenditure of $21,059¹⁹¹⁹. Hillsboro Elementary receives the highest allocation in the district at $22,398 per pupil²⁰²⁰.

  • Performance vs. Expenditure: Higher spending does not always correspond with higher test scores within the district²¹. For example, Green Bank Elementary-Middle, despite receiving approximately $2,000 less per pupil than Hillsboro Elementary, outperforms it in both Math (0.55 vs 0.44) and ELA (0.53 vs 0.52)²².

  • Subject Proficiency Gaps:

    • Pocahontas County High School shows a significant proficiency gap between subjects, with a strong 0.59 in ELA but the district's lowest Math proficiency at 0.35²³.

    • Green Bank Elementary-Middle is the only school in the district where Math proficiency (0.55) exceeds ELA proficiency (0.53)²⁴.

  • Middle School Performance: Pocahontas County Middle School reports the lowest ELA proficiency in the district at 0.47 (excluding Marlinton Elementary) and low Math proficiency at 0.41²⁵.

  District Level Summary

  Overall, Pocahontas County maintains a proficiency rate of 0.51 for ELA and 0.45 for Math²⁶. While the district's per-pupil spending is higher than many other WV counties (such as Berkeley at $15,306 or Barbour at $15,737), its proficiency levels are generally aligned with the state average^27272727.