The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Strode Station Elementary School
Strode Station Elementary School is a regular public school in Winchester, Kentucky, serving children from kindergarten through fourth grade. It is part of Clark County Schools. The school sits on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Winchester, the county seat of Clark County, a small city about a short drive east of Lexington. Winchester is a mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial employers, with a historic downtown and a reputation as the birthplace of Ale-8-One soda and beer cheese. The school itself is one of several elementary schools in the district.
Academically, Strode Station’s state assessment results for the most recent year show that a modest share of students reached the proficient or above level on the Kentucky Summative Assessment. In third-grade math, about two-fifths of students scored proficient or higher. Fourth-grade math came in at a similar level. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was slightly lower, and fourth-grade proficiency came in around the same share as math. Science results, which are tested only in fourth grade, show that roughly one-third of students met the proficiency benchmark. These numbers are an important starting point for a family evaluating the school: across tested grades and subjects, about two in five students are performing at the proficient level, meaning a majority of students are scoring below that mark. Parents may want to follow up with the school to understand what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations, and how the school tracks growth over time.
The student body is diverse in its composition. The largest group is white, making up a strong majority. Hispanic students form the next largest share, and smaller groups include Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families in the attendance zone face economic challenges. The school does not appear to have reported data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so that picture is incomplete. As a kindergarten-through-fourth-grade building, there is no high school graduation rate, and there are no advanced placement or dual-credit programs to speak of—those belong to the higher grade levels beyond this school’s scope.
Winchester itself provides the community backdrop. The city has a historic downtown along Main Street with an elevated sidewalk and hosts the annual Beer Cheese Festival each June. Major employers include a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a power cooperative, a distribution center, and a dairy, giving the area a solid working-class and industrial base. Housing in Winchester is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks; home values have risen slightly over the past year, and rents have increased at a faster pace. The city is part of the Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area, with convenient highway access via Interstate 64 and the Mountain Parkway. The Clark County Public Library offers a civic anchor, and the former college campus turned public park provides green space.
The school’s governance is straightforward: it is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, teacher-to-student ratios, or course access beyond what the state testing reveals. The district brief turned up no major recent changes or initiatives that publicly affect Strode Station’s day-to-day operations.
For a family considering Strode Station Elementary, the picture is one of a neighborhood school with a clear academic challenge: proficiency rates hover around the two-fifths mark, and science is lower. The school serves a student body that is majority white with a notable Hispanic presence and a significant number of students from lower-income households. The community offers a stable, small-city setting with a historic core and industrial employers. Parents who value a strong focus on raising academic outcomes may want to probe further into the school’s intervention strategies and how it supports students working below grade level. Those looking at the area from outside should note that housing costs, while not high relative to the nation, have been rising, and the local economy provides a range of jobs from manufacturing to services. There is no state-level comparison available because Clark County has only one district, so the usual context of how this school stacks up against neighboring districts is absent.
See more original research from School Decision →