Page School Center, Pineville KY

Original Research by School Decision on Page School Center

Page School Center serves students from preschool through eighth grade in Bell County, near the small Appalachian town of Pineville. As a regular public school within the Bell County district, it draws its enrollment from the surrounding rural area. The school’s size is modest, which shapes the kind of experience a family might expect: smaller classes, familiarity among students and staff, and a setting where children are known individually.

State assessment results give a mixed picture of academic performance, varying by subject and grade level. In reading, proficiency rates across the tested grades show a range that includes both softer spots and some stronger outcomes, especially at the upper end where a substantial share of eighth graders met or exceeded the standard. Math performance is more uneven, with lower elementary grades posting results that fall noticeably below the midpoint of the district’s other schools. In science and social studies, the data covers only a few grade levels; in fourth-grade science, for example, the share of students reaching proficiency is modest, while eighth graders in social studies performed stronger. Some test results are suppressed because the number of students tested is too small to report, a common occurrence in a school this size. When looking at the overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades, Page School Center sits below the midpoint relative to the other two districts in Bell County. A parent may want to ask how the school supports students who are not yet at the proficiency benchmark, particularly at the grade levels where performance is weaker.

The student body is overwhelmingly white and comes from families with very high economic need; a large majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available. Because the school stops at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no information on chronic absenteeism or discipline was provided.

Pineville itself is the county seat of Bell County, a community with a historic downtown core that has seen recent revitalization efforts. The economy has long relied on coal mining and local businesses, but new investment in the town square, the Bell Theater, and surrounding development has brought in hospitality and service jobs. Housing values in the area are low, and monthly mortgage costs on a typical home are modest, which may matter to families weighing the area’s affordability against other considerations. Daily life in Pineville centers on the courthouse square, the public library, and nearby Pine Mountain State Resort Park.

Page School Center does not appear to offer any special programs or advanced coursework; since it serves only through eighth grade, conversations about high school pathways or career and technical education happen later and in a different building. Families who value a small rural school with a strong sense of community may find this environment a good fit. The academic numbers, however, are not uniformly strong, and a parent considering this school would benefit from visiting, talking with teachers about how they address struggling students, and asking about the supports available for the many children growing up in low-income households. The data does not include staffing ratios or course access information, so those questions remain open.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 47% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 44% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 56% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 44% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 48% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 53% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 53% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 63% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 62% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median

Science

Grade 429%

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

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 36% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 46% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above 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.