Second Street School, Frankfort KY

Original Research by School Decision on Second Street School

Second Street School is a regular public school in Frankfort, Kentucky, serving kindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Frankfort Independent district. Housed in a historic capital city where state government, Kentucky State University, and bourbon distilling anchor the local economy, the school draws its students from the city’s compact downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The setting is a blend of walkable riverfront districts, older residential areas, and suburban commercial strips. Housing values and rents in Frankfort sit near the state average.

The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller presence of Black students and a modest share of students who identify as two or more races. Hispanic and Asian students each make up a very small portion of enrollment. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that indicates a substantial share of families with lower household incomes.

Demographically, the school reflects a middle-sized K-8 enrollment with roughly even class sizes from kindergarten through eighth grade. This structure means students spend many years together in a stable cohort, which can appeal to families who value continuity and a school community where children are known over time.

On state assessments, performance varies by grade and subject, with a pattern worth noting. In English language arts, proficiency rates across tested grades generally cluster around two-fifths to just over half of students reaching the proficient or above level. Math proficiency is lower on the whole, with most grades reporting that between about a third and just under half of students meet the bar. Seventh grade is a relative bright spot in both subjects, with a notably higher share of students scoring proficient. Science and social studies results, where available, are more mixed and generally lower, a pattern common to those subjects in many schools.

Compared to other districts in Franklin County, Second Street School’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile. That is a narrow comparison field, though, as the county contains only two school districts, so the difference between the top and bottom is small. Still, the school’s results place it on the stronger side of that local range.

No discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, or staffing information were available in the data set. A parent looking for a fuller picture of school climate and day-to-day support would want to ask the school directly about those areas. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The district did not surface any major recent changes in publicly available sources, so the school’s academic program and operations appear to have been stable in the near term.

For a family considering this school, the core read is straightforward. Second Street School is a mid-sized K-8 public school in Kentucky’s capital city, serving a student population where a majority of families qualify for income-based meal assistance. Its academic results are strongest in middle-school English language arts, particularly in seventh grade, while math and the elementary grades show more room for growth. The overall proficiency picture, though modest in absolute terms, ranks well within the very small county peer group. Families who value a single K-8 setting where children progress through multiple years in one building may find that structure appealing. Those concerned about the lower elementary achievement levels may want to follow up with the school about specific supports and intervention programs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 48% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 45% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 57% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Science

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 31% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

This schoolFrankfort Independent, 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-income57%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income42%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income37%Higher-income58%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income65%36 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income61%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income46%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income38%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income55%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income59%45 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income58%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income57%26 pp gap