Big Elm Elementary School

Big Elm Elementary School is one of the heavily attended primary schools in Shinnston, West Virginia, run under Harrison County Schools, with 567 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 283 students per school, that is 100% bigger than typical.

Across the 24 schools in Harrison County Schools (9,358 students total), Big Elm Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Big Elm Elementary School shows that 96% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Beyond that, the school lists 2% multiracial. Compared to Harrison County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 43 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.3:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 12.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Harrison County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $60,377 per year, roughly 27% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Harrison County's 28 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,414 students), Big Elm Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Lincoln High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 2.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Big Elm Elementary School.

The campus sits in a countryside setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 21%: 717 students in 2018 compared to 567 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 16.2:1 in 2018 to 13.3:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.