Muhlenberg South Elementary, Beechmont KY

Original Research by School Decision on Muhlenberg South Elementary

Muhlenberg South Elementary serves students from preschool through fifth grade in the rural community of Beechmont, Kentucky, a small unincorporated census-designated place in Muhlenberg County. It is a regular public school within the Muhlenberg County school district.

The student body is predominantly white, with a very small number of students identifying as two or more races, and even fewer as Black or Hispanic. A substantial share of the students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has an enrollment that is moderate for an elementary school in the area. The school does not serve high school grades, so it has no graduation rate to report.

On the Kentucky Summative Assessment for the 2024-25 school year, the school’s proficiency rates showed a pattern of student performance that a parent may want to look into further with the school. In reading, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from roughly a third to under half across grades three, four, and five, with the fifth-grade rate being the strongest of the three. In math, proficiency rates were lower, falling between roughly a quarter and a third across the same grades. In science, only grade four is tested, and a bit more than a quarter of students scored proficient or above. In social studies, tested only in grade five, about a quarter of students reached that benchmark. These results place the school at a level where a family with specific academic expectations may want to understand what supports are in place.

Beechmont itself is a low-density, auto-dependent community with no downtown or walkable street life. The post office on the main highway is the civic focal point. The local economy is small, with most residents commuting elsewhere for work, and the community shows signs of economic stagnation rather than growth. Housing values are notably low compared to the state average, making the area an affordable option for families. The school sits on a separate campus outside any defined village center, which is typical for rural schools in the county.

The district brief found little of lasting impact in recent public reports about Muhlenberg County schools, so there are no major district-wide changes or initiatives to describe here. Because Muhlenberg South is the only entity at this level within its comparison set of district schools in Muhlenberg County, there is no meaningful way to position it relative to a peer group within the county. State testing data is available, as described, and the school operates as a regular elementary school serving its local attendance zone.

For a family considering this school, the primary considerations are the rural setting, the affordability of the area, and the academic results on state assessments, particularly in math and reading at the elementary level. The high share of students from low-income backgrounds is a relevant factor for understanding the school’s context and resource needs. A parent interested in a more detailed picture of student progress, intervention programs, or classroom resources would benefit from a direct conversation with the school.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 41% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 29% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 37% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 40% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Science

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 33% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 27% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

This schoolMuhlenberg County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income42%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income56%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income68%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income42%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income38%21 pp gap