Barbourville City School, Barbourville KY

Original Research by School Decision on Barbourville City School

Barbourville City School is a regular public school serving all grades from preschool through twelfth grade in the small county seat of Barbourville, Kentucky. Because it is a single-campus school covering the full K-12 range, families who enroll here will have their children in one building from kindergarten through senior year, a setup that can offer continuity across grade levels.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results present a mixed picture that varies by grade and subject. In the elementary years, reading proficiency rates are at a level that suggests a solid majority of students meet the state’s expectations. Mathematics in third and fourth grade follows a similar pattern, with about half to three-fifths of students reaching proficiency. Middle school brings a noticeable drop-off. Seventh and eighth grade math proficiency rates are lower, and eighth grade reading and social studies results also fall off. Parents considering this school may want to ask how the school supports students as they move into the upper grades, particularly in math and literacy. Science proficiency at fourth and seventh grade sits at a level that many families would view as an area for attention. Fifth grade results for math and reading were suppressed and not reported. An overall proficiency index places the school in the top quartile among the two districts in Knox County, meaning it is on the higher end of the very small local comparison set. Data on the school’s four-year graduation rate and chronic absenteeism were not available, so a complete picture of secondary outcomes remains incomplete.

The student body is heavily homogeneous; the vast majority of students are white, with small shares of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the surrounding area. Housing values in Barbourville’s zip code are well below both state and national benchmarks, and home values have recently declined year over year. The area’s median household income and unemployment rate track near national averages, but the housing market is notably more affordable than much of the rest of Kentucky.

Barbourville itself is a historic Appalachian town and a college community, home to Union Commonwealth University. The town’s walkability is largely limited to the downtown area near the county courthouse and the university campus, with street life concentrated around annual events like the Daniel Boone Festival. Major employers include the university, the county school system, and local government. The population has seen a slight recent decline, and current development efforts are focused on environmental remediation and brownfield redevelopment. No major recent changes or initiatives were reported for the Barbourville Independent district.

Because the school does not publish program offerings in the available data, it is unclear whether Barbourville City School provides Advanced Placement courses, dual-credit opportunities, or career and technical education pathways. For a school that covers high school, the absence of this information is a gap that families may want to investigate directly with the district office or the school itself. Discipline data and staffing ratios were also not reported. Families looking for a full-service K-12 school in a small-town setting with below-average housing costs and a largely white student body will find Barbourville City School a straightforward option, though they should seek out details on high school programming and the middle school academic dip to see how well it fits their child’s needs.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 54 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

314 schools plotted. 35 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 661%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 8 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Science

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 23 pts above state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

even with state median

This schoolBarbourville Independent, 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 4Lower-income69%Higher-income50%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income72%Higher-income64%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income63%Higher-income60%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income56%Higher-income80%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income56%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income59%Higher-income64%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income33%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income53%29 pp gap