The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cartmell Elementary
Cartmell Elementary serves second through fourth graders in Carrollton, a small Ohio River town that is the seat of Carroll County. The town has a compact layout, a historic downtown district, and a major industrial employer in North American Stainless, a large stainless steel producer. Housing values in the area are below the state median, and the local unemployment rate has been steady near the national average. The school is one of seven in the Carroll County district, which also includes a primary school for younger students, a middle school, and a high school.
Cartmell’s student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that represents a meaningful share of enrollment. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals a high level of economic need across the school community.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show that in math, about a quarter of third graders and a fifth of fourth graders scored at the proficient level or above. In reading, the share was about a quarter for third graders and just over a third for fourth graders. Science results for fourth graders were lower, with fewer than one in five students reaching proficiency. These figures place the school well below the statewide averages for those grades and subjects. It is worth noting that the comparison set for Carroll County contains only one district, so positioning the school against local peers is not meaningful; the relevant benchmark here is the state as a whole.
Because Cartmell serves only elementary grades ending at fourth, there is no graduation rate to report, and no discipline or chronic absenteeism data were available in the provided materials. Similarly, no information was supplied on special education identification rates, English learner services, staffing ratios, or course access. A parent who wants to understand how the school supports students with disabilities or language needs, or how it manages behavior and attendance, would need to ask the school or district directly.
The district brief for Carroll County indicated no major recent changes, so the operational environment appears stable. The broader Carrollton community has seen steady population numbers over recent decades and has added civic amenities such as a riverside campground and upgraded park facilities, but these are town-level investments rather than school-specific ones.
For a family considering Cartmell Elementary, the core academic picture is straightforward: proficiency rates in math, reading, and science are lower than the state average by a wide margin. The school serves a population with significant economic disadvantage, and the community is a small, industrial river town with affordable housing relative to Kentucky as a whole. The school’s grade band means children enter in second grade and leave after fourth, moving on to a middle school elsewhere in the district. A family that values strong academic outcomes relative to state norms would want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school offers, and how the district addresses the transition between schools.
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