Hillard Collins Elementary School, Florence KY

Original Research by School Decision on Hillard Collins Elementary School

Hillard Collins Elementary School, a regular public school in Florence, Kentucky, serves students from preschool through fifth grade as part of the Boone County School District. The school has a substantial enrollment for an elementary building, and a clear majority of its students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with significant economic need. The student body is diverse: while White students form the largest single group, Hispanic students make up a very large share, and Black students represent another substantial portion of the population. Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students each contribute to the mix in smaller but present numbers. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those classified as English learners was not available in this profile, which is a gap a parent may want to clarify directly with the school.

Academically, the state assessment results for the most recent testing year show a mixed picture. In elementary school, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts generally rise as students move through the grades. Third-grade math and reading scores start at lower levels, while fifth-grade students post the highest proficiency rates in both subjects. Still, across all tested grades and subjects, the share of students meeting the state’s proficient benchmark remains below half. In science, tested in fourth grade, proficiency is lower than in either math or reading at that grade level. Social studies, tested in fifth grade, shows a similar pattern, with fewer than a third of students reaching proficiency. When compared against other districts in Boone County, Hillard Collins’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This is a soft spot in the school’s academic profile that families should weigh carefully. The district-level context matters here: Boone County Schools as a whole has recently adopted a strategic plan emphasizing career pathways and expanded career and technical education, though those programs primarily affect secondary students. The district also opened a new elementary school in the Hebron/Burlington corridor to address population growth, a change that may shift attendance boundaries over time.

Florence itself is a fast-growing, car-dependent suburb of Cincinnati. It is built around major highway corridors and lacks a traditional walkable downtown; schools are spread across the district rather than clustered in a town center. Housing in the ZIP code covering the school is priced at a level that is above the statewide median but below the national median for single-family homes, and rental costs are moderate relative to incomes. The city’s growth has been driven by its highway access, proximity to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and a broad employment base that includes healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, and retail. For a family considering this school, the primary considerations are the school’s demographic diversity, its high level of economic need, and academic results that lag behind other elementary schools within the same county. A parent would be well served by asking what academic interventions or supports the school is using to lift proficiency rates and how it is addressing the learning gaps evident in the state assessments.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 55% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 57% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 58% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 54% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 59% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 61% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 44% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 48% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolBoone 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-income33%Higher-income50%17 pp gap