Lone Jack School Center, Fourmile KY

Original Research by School Decision on Lone Jack School Center

Lone Jack School Center sits in Fourmile, a very small unincorporated community in Bell County, Kentucky, along the Cumberland River and surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. The school serves students from preschool through eighth grade, making it the only public school option for families in this rural pocket. The community itself has a deeply rooted history in coal mining, which shaped its economy for generations, though today the area shows very limited commercial activity and a low median household income. The road network, centered on U.S. Route 25E and Kentucky State Route 92, is the primary means of getting around; there is no meaningful walkable street life or downtown district.

The student body is small and almost entirely white, with a very high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. That economic context matters because it shapes the support students bring to the classroom. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate or advanced coursework like AP or dual credit to report. The focus here is entirely on the elementary and middle school years.

On state assessments, the picture is mixed. Reading and language arts scores show relative strength, especially in the earlier grades. In later grades, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark in ELA is still solid, though it drops off some from the peak in third grade. Math scores are more of a concern. Across the tested grades, the proportion of students reaching proficiency is lower, and in some grades it is well below half. The eighth grade math result was suppressed, which may reflect a very small group of test-takers. Science scores are moderate, with a noticeable gap between fourth and seventh grade. Social studies proficiency is the weakest area, with a particularly low result in fifth grade. When all tested subjects and grades are combined into a single proficiency index, the school's overall performance sits below the midpoint among the three districts in Bell County. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about how it addresses math and social studies, and whether there are specific interventions or supports in place.

The school’s environment is rural, and the community is tight-knit by necessity. Churches and the school itself have historically served as the main hubs. There is a post office with limited hours, and the nearest larger town, Pineville, is a short drive northwest. The district, Bell County, had no recent changes of lasting impact reported in the search, so the school appears to be operating under a stable set of conditions.

Lone Jack School Center is not a place that offers a wide array of specialized programs or extracurricular breadth. What it offers is a small, predictable setting where a child can move from preschool through eighth grade among the same peers. Families who value that continuity and who are comfortable with a rural, low-amenity environment may find it a good fit. Those who place a high priority on above-average academic performance, particularly in math and social studies, should look into the school’s instructional approach and support services to see how they align with their child’s needs.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 44% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 47% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 44% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 48% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 13 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 48% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 53% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 63% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 62% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median

Science

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 40% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 36% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 34% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 46% · ▼ 8 pts below district

even with state median

This schoolBell 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.