NEW CUMBERLAND — Hancock County officials are praising the district’s results in the West Virginia General Summative Assessment, pointing to growth in scores for many of the county’s schools.

“Some of our schools had absolutely fantastic rankings,” Kristen Bissett, federal programs/student services/assessment director for Hancock County Schools said during Monday’s meeting of the county Board of Education. “All of the schools have shown growth.”

According to data provided by county school officials, Hancock County’s overall rankings showed the school district as being sixth out of 55 counties in English Language Arts, third in mathematics, and 13th in science as part of the assessment.

Compared to the 379 elementary schools in the state, Allen T. Allison Elementary ranked 60th in math and 46th in English Language Arts; New Manchester Elementary 13th in math and 44th in ELA; and Weirton Elementary 31st in math and 74th in ELA.

Compared to 112 middle schools, Oak Glen Middle was ranked third in math, 16th in ELA, and 16th in science, with Weir Middle set at 42nd in math, 56th in ELA, and 39th in science.

Against the 110 high schools in West Virginia, Oak Glen ranks 65th in math, 15th in ELA, and 46th in science, with Weir High at 36th in math, 16th in ELA, and 58th in science.

“Hancock County Schools is very proud of its test scores this year, showing growth in both English Language Arts and mathematics,” said Superintendent Dan Enich in a prepared statement, noting ELA proficiency in the county has increased by 3%, with math increasing by 1.5%. “A strong community has to start with a strong school system. Hancock County provides solid instruction and interventions to our students and we strive to show growth each year. We will continue to invest in the safety, facilities, and infrastructure of our schools and provide Hancock County residents this great return on investment.”

Data provided by school officials compared the proficiencies displayed for the 2024-2025 school year to those in the 2023-2024 year.

Oak Glen High showed a 17% proficiency in math, compared to 26% in 23-24, 61.6% in ELA compared to 53% the previous year, and 26.8% in science compared to 31%.

Weir High had a 22.6% proficiency in math this last year compared to 25.7% in 2023-2024, increased its proficiency in ELA from 53% to 60.9%, and had a slight drop in science from 27.4% to 25.6%.

Oak Glen Middle saw increases in both math and ELA from the previous year, going from 58.8% to 60.4% in math, and from 52.2% to 56% in ELA, but dropping in science from 43.6% to 38.1%.

Weir Middle saw growth in all three categories, going from 37.2% in math to 39.7%, 42.9% to 43% in ELA, and 28.5% to 31.3% in science.

All three elementary schools showed growth from the previous year in their two graded categories.

Allison Elementary increased its math proficiency from 62% to 65.5%, with ELA rising from 63% to 64.3%. New Manchester went from 75.8% in math to 78% and from 61.5% to 64.8% in ELA. Weirton Elementary rose from 65.7% in math to 71.9% and from 57.1% to 59.4% in ELA.

“That’s the kind of things that draw companies,” board member Randy Swartzmiller said.

Erica Sauer, director of special programs for Hancock County Schools, said the county’s teachers are using the results as inspiration for the new school year.

“They hit the ground running,” Sauer said. “Everyone is enthusiastic about the new year and ready to do better.”

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)