Is Independence Middle School a good school?

Independence Middle School ranks 35 th of 169 West Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 444 students attended Independence Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Middle School?

Students at Independence Middle School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Independence Middle School attend?

Students who attend Independence Middle School usually go on to attend Independence High School

Independence Middle School

Summary:

Independence Middle School is a public middle school located in Coal City, West Virginia, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 477. The school is part of the Raleigh County Schools district, which is ranked 12th out of 55 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independence Middle School consistently outperforms the Raleigh County Schools district and the state of West Virginia in academic assessments across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Independence Middle School had significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics compared to the district and the state. The school also excels in supporting the academic achievement of various student subgroups, ranking highly in the state for its performance with female students, male students, white students, special education students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Over the past several years, Independence Middle School has steadily improved its statewide ranking, moving from the 81st position in 2018-2019 to the 35th position in 2023-2024, with a consistent 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

When compared to the nearby middle schools in the Raleigh County Schools district, Independence Middle School consistently outperforms Trap Hill Middle School and Shady Spring Middle School in academic assessments, particularly in Mathematics and English Language Arts. However, Park Middle School, another nearby school, also demonstrates strong academic performance and is ranked higher than Independence Middle School in the state. In contrast, some lower-performing schools in the neighboring Wyoming County Schools district, such as Mullens Middle School and Pineville Middle School, have significantly lower academic proficiency rates and statewide rankings compared to Independence Middle School.

Detail:

Public 6-8

800 Independence Rd
Coal City, WV 25823

(304) 683-4542

District: Raleigh County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
35^th of 169 West Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,357

Students who attend Independence Middle School usually attend:

High:

Independence High School

Feeder schools for Independence Middle School:

Elementary:

Coal City Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 444

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.9%

Two or more races:

3.4%

African American:

1.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.7%

See top rated West Virginia middle schools

Compare Independence Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Middle School ranks better than 79.3% of middle schools in West Virginia. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked middle schools in the Raleigh County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.03. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (93.9%), two or more races (3.4%), African American (1.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Middle School is 13. 3 middle schools in the Raleigh County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Middle School employs 34 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Middle School is $12,357. 2 middle schools in the Raleigh County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Middle School 35^th of 169 West Virginia public middle schools. (See Independence Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Raleigh County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Raleigh County Schools 12^th of 55 West Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Middle School?

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Rank History for Independence Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2009	40.07	110^th	171	35.7%
2010	43.37	103^rd	171	39.8%
2011	55.79	63^rd	171	63.2%
2012	64.02	37^th	172	78.5%
2013	60.21	47^th	174	73.0%
2014	42.59	100^th	172	41.9%
2015	41.91	98^th	173	43.4%
2016	44.78	93^rd	172	45.9%
2017	41.86	118^th	176	33.0%
2018	49.83	78^th	170	54.1%
2019	48.51	81^st	171	52.6%
2021	74.13	25^th	171	85.4%
2022	74.59	27^th	169	84.0%
2023	70.60	32^nd	168	81.0%
2024	69.03	35^th	169	79.3%

See the entire list of West Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2017	38.10	79^th	107	26.2%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2017	57.24	37^th	174	78.7%
2018	49.95	56^th	142	60.6%
2019	40.95	69^th	130	46.9%
2023	79.48	7^th	132	94.7%
2024	64.36	21^st	128	83.6%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2017	31.55	137^th	176	22.2%
2018	55.14	63^rd	165	61.8%
2021	80.89	7^th	164	95.7%
2022	81.10	11^th	162	93.2%
2023	76.84	13^th	162	92.0%
2024	74.68	21^st	164	87.2%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2017	41.53	115^th	174	33.9%
2018	53.48	75^th	166	54.8%
2019	59.30	58^th	162	64.2%
2021	79.32	18^th	162	88.9%
2022	75.57	24^th	164	85.4%
2023	69.39	30^th	158	81.0%
2024	61.90	50^th	158	68.4%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	59.91	25^th	129	80.6%
2022	71.34	13^th	131	90.1%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2017	41.42	116^th	176	34.1%
2018	47.01	87^th	164	47.0%
2019	40.40	101^st	161	37.3%
2021	68.53	37^th	164	77.4%
2022	71.06	26^th	161	83.9%
2023	71.50	34^th	158	78.5%
2024	76.28	25^th	165	84.8%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2017	42.68	71^st	124	42.7%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2017	43.90	52^nd	97	46.4%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WV State Percentile
2017	40.98	117^th	176	33.5%
2018	50.59	79^th	167	52.7%
2019	49.56	80^th	168	52.4%
2021	73.29	27^th	170	84.1%
2022	73.11	29^th	168	82.7%
2023	70.29	34^th	168	79.8%
2024	68.59	35^th	169	79.3%

See the entire list of Best West Virginia Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: West Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: West Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1995	568	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	572
1996	568	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	572
1997	526	10	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	537
1998	527	16	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	545
1999	491	21	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	513
2000	497	23	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	520
2001	501	15	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	516
2002	519	10	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	532
2003	519	10	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	532
2004	568	15	1	1	2	n/a	n/a	587
2005	582	18	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	606
2006	559	17	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	581
2007	531	17	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	552
2008	502	9	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	512
2009	521	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	525
2010	539	4	1	2	2	0	0	548
2011	504	9	3	3	1	0	0	520
2012	492	7	2	2	1	0	1	505
2013	453	10	1	6	0	0	1	471
2014	488	11	1	8	0	0	2	510
2015	484	8	1	11	0	0	5	509
2016	465	9	1	11	0	0	2	488
2017	450	4	0	9	0	0	3	466
2018	433	7	0	8	0	0	5	453
2019	429	7	1	6	0	0	7	450
2020	433	6	0	4	0	0	7	450
2021	451	5	0	3	0	0	10	469
2022	453	5	0	2	0	0	9	469
2023	454	7	1	5	0	0	10	477
2024	417	7	1	4	0	0	15	444

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	572	32.5	17.6	37.1
1996	572	32.5	17.6	37.1
1997	537	31.5	17.0	44.9
1998	545	32.0	17.0	46.4
1999	513	32.0	16.0	58.9
2000	520	33.5	15.5	63.5
2001	516	32.5	15.9	60.3
2002	532	31.5	16.9	57.7
2003	532	31.5	16.9	57.7
2004	587	37.5	15.7	66.4
2005	606	38.5	15.7	68.5
2006	581	40.5	14.3	65.2
2007	552	40.5	13.6	58
2008	512	39.5	13.0	55.5
2009	525	39.5	13.3	55.4
2010	548	39.5	13.8	52.6
2011	520	42.4	12.2	51.2
2012	505	40.0	12.6	51.3
2013	471	40.5	11.6	65.2
2014	510	40.0	12.7	57.1
2015	509	41.0	12.4	58.9
2016	488	42.0	11.6	61.7
2017	466	39.5	11.7	59.9
2018	453	38.0	11.9	65.6
2019	450	39.5	11.3	65.6
2020	450	39.5	11.3	65.6
2021	469	39.0	12.0	65.7
2022	469	38.0	12.3	n/a
2023	477	40.0	11.9	n/a
2024	444	34.0	13.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	572	32.5	17.6	37.1
1996	572	32.5	17.6	37.1
1997	537	31.5	17.0	44.9
1998	545	32.0	17.0	46.4
1999	513	32.0	16.0	58.9
2000	520	33.5	15.5	63.5
2001	516	32.5	15.9	60.3
2002	532	31.5	16.9	57.7
2003	532	31.5	16.9	57.7
2004	587	37.5	15.7	66.4
2005	606	38.5	15.7	68.5
2006	581	40.5	14.3	65.2
2007	552	40.5	13.6	58
2008	512	39.5	13.0	55.5
2009	525	39.5	13.3	55.4
2010	548	39.5	13.8	52.6
2011	520	42.4	12.2	51.2
2012	505	40.0	12.6	51.3
2013	471	40.5	11.6	65.2
2014	510	40.0	12.7	57.1
2015	509	41.0	12.4	58.9
2016	488	42.0	11.6	61.7
2017	466	39.5	11.7	59.9
2018	453	38.0	11.9	65.6
2019	450	39.5	11.3	65.6
2020	450	39.5	11.3	65.6
2021	469	39.0	12.0	65.7
2022	469	38.0	12.3	n/a
2023	477	40.0	11.9	n/a
2024	444	34.0	13.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$976 (7.9%)	$11,381 (92.1%)	$12,357

Data source: West Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 81^st of 171 Middle schools	Ranks 32^nd of 168 Middle schools	28.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Independence Middle School)	27	39.6	12.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Raleigh County Schools)	33.9	30.9	3%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Virginia)	34.4	30.2	4.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	52	64.8	12.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Raleigh County Schools)	45.6	50.7	5.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Virginia)	45.3	45.4	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Independence Middle School)	36.3	45.3	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Raleigh County Schools)	39.1	37.4	1.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Virginia)	36.8	30.7	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	41.5	44	2.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Raleigh County Schools)	46.2	41.7	4.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Virginia)	42.6	38.8	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Independence Middle School)	32.9	21.2	11.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Raleigh County Schools)	34.4	30.6	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Virginia)	36.6	28.2	8.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	42.4	48.1	5.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Raleigh County Schools)	39.8	47.2	7.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Virginia)	43.9	42.7	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Independence Middle School)	29.7	30.1	0.4%
8th Grade Science (Raleigh County Schools)	29.1	30.3	1.2%
8th Grade Science (West Virginia)	33.1	27	6.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	450	477	6%
African American	7	7
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	6	5	16.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	429	454	5.8%
Two or More Races	7	10	42.9%

Schools Near Independence Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				WV Assessment Mathematics (2024)				WV Assessment English Language Arts (2024)				WV Assessment Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WV Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	WV Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	WV Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	WV Assessment Science 5th Grade	WV Assessment Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Independence Rd	Coal City	25823	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 683-4542	444	34	13.0		417 (93.9%)	7 (1.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	69	35^th of 169 public middle schools	79.3%		70.6	32^nd of 168 public middle schools	81.0%	3		46.7	52.1	20.5		56.7	66.4	41.7		20.5	$12,357	$976	$11,381
Park Middle School	Public	6-8	212 Park Ave	Beckley	25801	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 256-4586	411	35	11.9		301 (73.2%)	56 (13.6%)	4 (1.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (11.2%)	86.9	15^th of 169 public middle schools	91.1%		85.4	14^th of 168 public middle schools	91.7%	1		51.1	49.2	35.3		58.9	54.6	53.3		40.2	$13,096	$848	$12,248
Shady Spring Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Flat Top Rd	Shady Spring	25918	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 256-4570	606	45	13.4		576 (95.0%)	8 (1.3%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	70.7	31^st of 169 public middle schools	81.7%		74.1	27^th of 168 public middle schools	83.9%	4		37.8	31.3	45.3		52.6	42.4	50.3		32.0	$10,318	$865	$9,453
Beckley-Stratton Middle School	Public	6-8	401 Grey Flats Rd	Beckley	25801	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 256-4616	634	59	10.7		411 (64.8%)	136 (21.5%)	18 (2.8%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	61 (9.6%)	42.2	94^th of 169 public middle schools	44.4%		27.6	135^th of 168 public middle schools	19.6%	41		36.2	14.3	20.1		50.3	32.1	40.7		23.7	$11,086	$834	$10,252
Trap Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	665 Coal River Rd	Glen Daniel	25844	Raleigh County	Raleigh County Schools	No	No	No	No	(304) 934-5392	347	32	11.0		338 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	63.8	42^nd of 169 public middle schools	75.1%		59.3	57^th of 168 public middle schools	66.1%	15		46.6	37.9	38.2		64.8	40.5	38.2		17.3	$12,395	$886	$11,508
Mullens Middle School	Public	5-8	801 Moran Ave	Mullens	25882	Wyoming County	Wyoming County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 294-5757	133	12	11.2		127 (95.5%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	21.2	149^th of 169 public middle schools	11.8%		35.3	116^th of 168 public middle schools	31.0%	33	15.6	21.2	16.7	13.8	40.6	36.4	33.3	31.0	15.6	13.8	$12,928	$1,216	$11,712
Pineville Middle School	Public	5-8	607 River Road	Pineville	24874	Wyoming County	Wyoming County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(304) 732-6442	233	19	12.4		228 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	53.9	72^nd of 169 public middle schools	57.4%		61.9	49^th of 168 public middle schools	70.8%	23	53.2	46.9	33.9	27.8	42.6	37.5	48.2	37.0	36.2	22.2	$11,543	$1,153	$10,390

Independence Middle School

Independence Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Raleigh County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Middle School

Rank History for all students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for White students at Independence Middle School

Enrollment information for Independence Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Middle School

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