Graves County Central Elementary, Mayfield KY

Original Research by School Decision on Graves County Central Elementary

Graves County Central Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the Graves County district, located just north of Mayfield in rural western Kentucky. It is one of two school districts in the county, and the district itself operates several elementary schools. The school draws from the surrounding area and from parts of Mayfield, a small city that serves as the county seat.

Academically, the school’s performance is a strength relative to the other district in Graves County. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades was notably higher than the county’s other district, placing it at the top end of the local comparison. In reading, very strong majorities of students met the state’s proficient or above threshold in both third and fifth grades, with a large majority also reaching that level in sixth grade. Fourth grade reading showed a more moderate majority. Math results followed a similar pattern: a large majority of sixth graders scored proficient or above, while a strong majority did so in third and fifth grades, and a slightly smaller majority in fourth grade. In science, tested only in fourth grade, just over half of students achieved proficiency. In fifth grade social studies, a strong majority of students scored proficient or above. The school’s performance is measured by the Kentucky Summative Assessment, and participation rates were not reported in the data provided. Since the school ends at sixth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report.

The student body totals in the mid-hundreds, a size that is moderate for an elementary school serving eight grade levels. The majority of students are white, with a notable Hispanic population, a smaller share identifying as two or more races, and very small Asian and Black student groups. A substantial share of students come from low-income households, as indicated by eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the source material.

The school sits in a community that has experienced significant change in recent years. Mayfield is a county seat with a historic downtown commercial core that was devastated by a powerful tornado. The event leveled much of the downtown, destroyed the county courthouse, and collapsed the roof of a major candle-manufacturing plant where many residents worked. The city has been in a recovery and rebuilding phase since, while also experiencing a slow population decline over recent decades. The area’s economy historically centered on manufacturing and tobacco markets, and today healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture remain key employment sectors. Home values in the area are below state and national benchmarks, and the cost of housing is relatively affordable compared to the broader region.

No recent district-level changes or major initiatives were found in publicly available sources. The school itself has not reported any charter or magnet status, and it is a standard district-operated elementary school.

For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of solid performance when measured against local peers, particularly in reading and math across most grade levels. The school serves a community still recovering from a natural disaster, and the broader economic context is one of modest decline and rebuilding. The student population is economically diverse, with a majority-white composition and a meaningful Hispanic presence. Parents who value a small-town, rural setting with strong relative academic outcomes and a school that covers elementary through middle school grades may find it a good fit. Families interested in more detailed subgroup performance or specific program offerings should follow up directly with the school, as that data was not available from the sources reviewed here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 64% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 64% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 59% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 679%

School 79% · District 71% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 384%

School 84% · District 72% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 67% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 72% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 77% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 21 pts above state median

Science

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 50% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 56% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median

This schoolGraves 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 5Lower-income69%Higher-income89%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income71%Higher-income81%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income66%Higher-income70%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income76%Higher-income84%8 pp gap