Slides Schools

 

To compare each school in Pocahontas County with the rest of the state, the most effective approach is to measure them against the statewide averages for both academic achievement and financial expenditures.

Overall, Pocahontas County invests significantly more money per student than the state average, and the majority of its schools outperform the state academically. Here is the school-by-school breakdown:

1. Hillsboro Elementary School (The Standout)

• Academic Performance: Hillsboro is a top-performing school, achieving total scores of 0.74 and 0.76. This vastly outperforms the state elementary average of 0.60 and 0.61. It is particularly phenomenal at supporting economically disadvantaged students, who scored 0.73 and 0.79—drastically beating the state average of 0.54 and 0.54 for that demographic.
• Expenditure: Hillsboro has the highest funding in the county, with a grand total per-pupil expenditure of $25,380. For comparison, the state average grand total per-pupil expenditure is only $16,591.

2. Marlinton Middle School (Strong Performer)

• Academic Performance: This school recorded very strong total scores of 0.66 and 0.60. This places it well above the state middle school average of 0.56 and 0.50.
• Expenditure: Marlinton Middle spends a grand total of $19,261 per pupil, which is above the state average of $16,591.

3. Marlinton Elementary School (Above Average)

• Academic Performance: Marlinton Elementary performs solidly, posting scores of 0.61 and 0.62. This puts the school slightly above the state elementary average of 0.60 and 0.61.
• Expenditure: The school's grand total per-pupil expenditure is $19,533, comfortably above the state average.

4. Pocahontas County High School (Mixed Results)

• Academic Performance: As is common across West Virginia, performance drops at the secondary level. Pocahontas High recorded scores of 0.53 and 0.46. While its initial score of 0.53 trails the state secondary average of 0.59, its second score of 0.46 indicates better resilience, beating the state's second score of 0.41.
• Expenditure: The high school has a grand total per-pupil expenditure of $19,452, again outpacing the state average.

5. Green Bank Elementary-Middle School (Below Average)

• Academic Performance: Green Bank is the only school in the county that generally trails the state averages, pulling the county's middle school average down. It recorded total scores of 0.50 and 0.52. While its initial score is lower than the state middle school average (0.56), it does hold steady to slightly edge out the state's second middle school score (0.50).
• Expenditure: Despite the lower academic scores, Green Bank is highly funded, with a grand total per-pupil expenditure of $21,580.

Summary: Every single school in Pocahontas County receives thousands of dollars more per pupil than the state average. In most cases—specifically at Hillsboro Elementary, Marlinton Elementary, and Marlinton Middle—this higher expenditure correlates with academic scores that beat the state averages.