Hearn Elementary, Frankfort KY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Hearn Elementary

Hearn Elementary is a regular public school serving first through fifth grades in Frankfort, as part of the Franklin County school district. The city of Frankfort is Kentucky’s state capital, a compact river town shaped by state government, bourbon distilling, and Kentucky State University. Government employment dominates the local economy, and the built environment ranges from historic downtown blocks and riverfront parks to suburban residential areas on the city’s east and west sides. The population has been relatively stable in recent years, and flood protection infrastructure along the Kentucky River has been in place for decades. Hearn’s neighborhood sits within this mix of government, university life, and suburban growth.

The school serves a moderately sized student body for an elementary. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting a community with notable economic diversity. The student population is majority white, with sizable Black and Hispanic shares and a smaller but meaningful group of students who identify as two or more races. Asian and American Indian students each make up a very small portion of the enrollment.

State assessment results are available for the 2024-25 school year across math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Hearn’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it near the midpoint relative to the two districts in Franklin County. Within the school, performance varies noticeably by subject and grade level. In math, third-grade students met the proficiency benchmark at a notably higher rate than their fourth- and fifth-grade peers. The pattern in reading is steadier: proficiency rates are similar among third and fourth graders, with a moderate dip in fifth grade. Science results for fourth grade are lower than the school’s averages in other subjects, and social studies results for fifth grade are somewhere in between. A parent may want to ask the school about the downward trend in math as students advance and about support for science instruction, especially since the single tested grade there shows a soft spot.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, nor are there program offerings such as advanced coursework or career pathways in the available data. The district brief turned up no major recent changes or initiatives of lasting parent-relevant impact, so the operating context appears stable.

Hearn Elementary offers a traditional elementary program in a community anchored by state government and a public university. Families considering this school will find a diverse student body by income and race, with academic strengths in early elementary reading and math and some unevenness in upper-elementary mathematics. The housing market in Frankfort shows moderate home values and rents, typical for a state capital of this size, and the local economy provides steady public-sector employment. For a family weighing this school, the main questions center on how the school addresses declining math proficiency across grades and how it supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks in science.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 47% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 47% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 40% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 46% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 46% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Science

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 35% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median

This schoolFranklin 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-income43%Higher-income45%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income62%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income55%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income73%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income57%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income41%25 pp gap