State district guide

West Virginia public school districts

Compare district systems across West Virginia by enrollment scale, school count, county context, generated guide coverage, and the parent checks that matter before choosing where to live.

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Direct answer for parents

What this district ranking can and cannot tell you

If you are searching for the best school districts in West Virginia, start with the largest and most data-rich district systems below, then verify the specific school assigned to each address. SchoolsByCounty orders districts by reported enrollment and school count because those fields are consistent in NCES. It does not convert district size into a quality rating.

Start with scale

KANAWHA COUNTY SCHOOLS

23,864 reported students

Check county context

Doddridge County

97/100 county score

Verify locally

Address fit

Attendance boundaries and transfers are not in NCES

District table

Largest public school districts in West Virginia

The first 60 rows show the largest district systems by reported enrollment. Open district guides where available, or use the county profile when a detailed district page is not generated yet.

60 districts in state file

West Virginia public school districts ranked by reported enrollment.
Rank	District	County context	Students	Schools	Parent lens
1	KANAWHA COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400600 Kanawha County67 schools	Kanawha County 52/100 county score	23,864	67	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
2	BERKELEY COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400060 Berkeley County32 schools	Berkeley County 61/100 county score	19,856	32	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
3	WOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401620 Wood County27 schools	Wood County 43/100 county score	11,663	27	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
4	CABELL COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400180 Cabell County26 schools	Cabell County 57/100 county score	11,473	26	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
5	MONONGALIA COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400930 Monongalia County18 schools	Monongalia County 64/100 county score	11,297	18	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
6	RALEIGH COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401230 Raleigh County27 schools	Raleigh County 41/100 county score	10,867	27	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
7	HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400510 Harrison County26 schools	Harrison County 84/100 county score	9,920	26	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
8	PUTNAM COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401200 Putnam County23 schools	Putnam County 73/100 county score	8,993	23	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
9	MERCER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400840 Mercer County25 schools	Mercer County 61/100 county score	8,686	25	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
10	JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400570 Jefferson County16 schools	Jefferson County 55/100 county score	8,389	16	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
11	MARION COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400720 Marion County21 schools	Marion County 77/100 county score	7,406	21	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
12	WAYNE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401500 Wayne County18 schools	Wayne County 39/100 county score	6,240	18	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
13	FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400300 Fayette County12 schools	Fayette County 49/100 county score	5,613	12	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
14	LOGAN COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400690 Logan County18 schools	Logan County 51/100 county score	5,190	18	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
15	OHIO COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401050 Ohio County13 schools	Ohio County 86/100 county score	4,953	13	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
16	GREENBRIER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400390 Greenbrier County15 schools	Greenbrier County 76/100 county score	4,702	15	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
17	MARSHALL COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400750 Marshall County13 schools	Marshall County 91/100 county score	4,239	13	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
18	JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400540 Jackson County13 schools	Jackson County 53/100 county score	4,135	13	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
19	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401170 Preston County10 schools	Preston County 42/100 county score	4,090	10	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
20	MINERAL COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400870 Mineral County14 schools	Mineral County 64/100 county score	4,023	14	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
21	MASON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400780 Mason County12 schools	Mason County 70/100 county score	3,788	12	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
22	UPSHUR COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401470 Upshur County10 schools	Upshur County 57/100 county score	3,776	10	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
23	MINGO COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400900 Mingo County10 schools	Mingo County 59/100 county score	3,719	10	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
24	RANDOLPH COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401260 Randolph County14 schools	Randolph County 59/100 county score	3,638	14	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
25	WYOMING COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401650 Wyoming County14 schools	Wyoming County 65/100 county score	3,609	14	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
26	HANCOCK COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400450 Hancock County9 schools	Hancock County 58/100 county score	3,497	9	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
27	NICHOLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401020 Nicholas County14 schools	Nicholas County 71/100 county score	3,484	14	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide
28	BOONE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400090 Boone County13 schools	Boone County 57/100 county score	3,188	13	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
29	LINCOLN COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400660 Lincoln County8 schools	Lincoln County 59/100 county score	2,942	8	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
30	HAMPSHIRE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400420 Hampshire County8 schools	Hampshire County 36/100 county score	2,801	8	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
31	MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400810 McDowell County10 schools	McDowell County 28/100 county score	2,537	10	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
32	BROOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400150 Brooke County7 schools	Brooke County 79/100 county score	2,479	7	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
33	LEWIS COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400630 Lewis County6 schools	Lewis County 33/100 county score	2,403	6	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
34	WETZEL COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401560 Wetzel County9 schools	Wetzel County 87/100 county score	2,258	9	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
35	TAYLOR COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401380 Taylor County5 schools	Taylor County 49/100 county score	2,213	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
36	HARDY COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400480 Hardy County6 schools	Hardy County 56/100 county score	2,194	6	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
37	MORGAN COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400990 Morgan County7 schools	Morgan County 31/100 county score	2,183	7	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
38	BARBOUR COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION LEA ID 5400030 Barbour County7 schools	Barbour County 67/100 county score	2,157	7	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
39	ROANE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401320 Roane County5 schools	Roane County 76/100 county score	1,795	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
40	BRAXTON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400120 Braxton County8 schools	Braxton County 74/100 county score	1,726	8	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
41	MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400960 Monroe County5 schools	Monroe County 83/100 county score	1,651	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
42	CLAY COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400240 Clay County6 schools	Clay County 78/100 county score	1,632	6	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
43	GRANT COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400360 Grant County5 schools	Grant County 47/100 county score	1,615	5	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
44	SUMMERS COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401350 Summers County4 schools	Summers County 52/100 county score	1,318	4	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
45	TYLER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401440 Tyler County4 schools	Tyler County 79/100 county score	1,257	4	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
46	RITCHIE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401290 Ritchie County5 schools	Ritchie County 46/100 county score	1,243	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
47	WEBSTER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401530 Webster County4 schools	Webster County 81/100 county score	1,192	4	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
48	DODDRIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400270 Doddridge County4 schools	Doddridge County 97/100 county score	1,119	4	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
49	PLEASANTS COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401110 Pleasants County5 schools	Pleasants County 78/100 county score	1,086	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
50	TUCKER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401410 Tucker County3 schools	Tucker County 52/100 county score	961	3	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
51	WIRT COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401590 Wirt County3 schools	Wirt County 46/100 county score	927	3	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
52	POCAHONTAS COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401140 Pocahontas County5 schools	Pocahontas County 56/100 county score	893	5	Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
53	PENDLETON COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5401080 Pendleton County4 schools	Pendleton County 89/100 county score	867	4	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
54	CALHOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400210 Calhoun County4 schools	Calhoun County 74/100 county score	864	4	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
55	GILMER COUNTY SCHOOLS LEA ID 5400330 Gilmer County2 schools	Gilmer County 82/100 county score	792	2	elementary, high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet
56	West Virginia Virtual Academy LEA ID 5400064 Kanawha County1 school	Kanawha County 52/100 county score	398	1	Limited grade-level records 1 charter Detailed guide not generated yet
57	Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy LEA ID 5400062 Jefferson County1 school	Jefferson County 55/100 county score	321	1	Limited grade-level records 1 charter Detailed guide not generated yet
58	West Virginia Academy LEA ID 5401652 Monongalia County1 school	Monongalia County 64/100 county score	306	1	Limited grade-level records 1 charter Detailed guide not generated yet
59	Virtual Preparatory Academy of West Virginia LEA ID 5400063 Jefferson County1 school	Jefferson County 55/100 county score	217	1	Limited grade-level records 1 charter Detailed guide not generated yet
60	WV SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND LEA ID 5401621 Hampshire County1 school	Hampshire County 36/100 county score	60	1	Limited grade-level records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Detailed guide not generated yet

— = enrollment not reported in the district record. District rows are informational and must be paired with local assignment tools before a housing decision.

Methodology

How to use district rankings without overreading them

District-level data is useful because it shows the operating system around a public school search: how many schools exist, which county record anchors the district, how much enrollment is reported, and whether a detailed district guide is available. It is not enough to decide where a student should enroll.

Ranking basis

Rows are ordered by reported enrollment, then school count. The method favors broad, data-rich systems because those are the districts parents most often need to research before relocation.

County context

Each district is attached to a primary county record when available. County school scores are context signals, not district ratings, and nearby counties can still matter for commute and housing decisions.

Grade pathway

Elementary, middle, and high school counts help parents spot whether a district looks like a full K-12 pathway or a narrower operating unit. Feeder patterns still require local verification.

Address verification

The final decision happens at the address level. Confirm attendance zones, open-enrollment rules, magnet admissions, charter lotteries, and transfer windows with official district sources.

County context

Districts anchored in higher-scoring county contexts

These rows pair district records with the county-level SchoolsByCounty score. Treat this as a shortlist for deeper research, not a district quality ranking.

DODDRIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS

Doddridge County

Students: 1,119
Schools: 4

MARSHALL COUNTY SCHOOLS

Marshall County

Students: 4,239
Schools: 13

Open district guide

PENDLETON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Pendleton County

Students: 867
Schools: 4

WETZEL COUNTY SCHOOLS

Wetzel County

Students: 2,258
Schools: 9

OHIO COUNTY SCHOOLS

Ohio County

Students: 4,953
Schools: 13

Open district guide

HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Harrison County

Students: 9,920
Schools: 26

Open district guide

Parent checklist before relying on a district ranking

Use this page to narrow the field, then answer these local questions before treating any district as a fit for a specific home.

Which school does this address actually feed into?

Use the district address lookup and confirm edge cases near attendance-zone borders.

What happens at transition grades?

A strong elementary fit can split into several middle or high school paths.

Are choice programs realistic for this student?

Magnet, charter, virtual, and transfer options can involve lotteries, applications, or deadlines.

Is the county context aligned with housing tradeoffs?

Pair school research with taxes, commute, home prices, and safety before choosing where to live.

Frequently Asked Questions About West Virginia School Districts

What are the best school districts in West Virginia?

KANAWHA COUNTY SCHOOLS, BERKELEY COUNTY SCHOOLS, WOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS are the largest West Virginia district systems by reported enrollment in the NCES file. SchoolsByCounty does not call them the best districts; use this page to find data-rich district systems, then verify assigned schools, program rules, and local fit.

How are West Virginia districts ranked here?

Districts are ordered by reported student enrollment, then school count, using NCES public school district records. This is a research-priority ranking, not a quality rating.

Why do only 27 West Virginia districts have district guide links?

SchoolsByCounty statically generates detailed district guides for the largest district systems nationally so the pages stay fast and substantive. Districts without guide links remain represented through county and state context pages.

Do these district pages show attendance boundaries?

No. Attendance zones, transfer rules, magnet eligibility, charter admission, transportation, and program availability must be verified with official district or local assignment tools before choosing a home.

Does a large district mean better schools?

No. Larger districts usually have more school options and more public data, but enrollment size is not a school-quality measure. Compare school-level records and official local sources before treating a district as a fit.

How many districts are included for West Virginia?

This page includes 60 West Virginia public school districts from the current NCES district file, alongside county context and generated district-guide availability where available.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jun 9, 2026

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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