The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mckell Elementary School
McKell Elementary School serves students in preschool through fifth grade in the Greenup County school district. The regular public school is a neighborhood elementary for South Shore, a small, predominantly residential Ohio River town that has seen steady population decline over many decades. The school sits just outside the city limits, a detail that reflects the dispersed pattern of civic and educational facilities in this part of Kentucky. High school students from the area attend Greenup County High School, located a substantial distance away in Lloyd.
The student body at McKell is racially homogeneous, with nearly all students identifying as white. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. This aligns with the town’s low median household income and a notable poverty rate. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary serving pre-K through fifth grade, with the largest single grade being kindergarten.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, McKell Elementary’s results show a pattern of declining proficiency as students move from primary to intermediate grades. In both math and reading (English language arts), third-grade proficiency was moderate, but fourth-grade results dropped noticeably before recovering in fifth grade, where a larger share of students met the state’s proficiency benchmark. The fifth-grade reading results were the school’s strongest subject-area showing. Science results for fourth graders, the only tested grade in that subject, were low. Social studies proficiency for fifth graders was in a similar range as third-grade math and reading. When compared with other districts in Greenup County, McKell’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among the three public school districts that serve the county. A parent or resident may want to look into this further with the school, understanding that the comparison set is small and the district’s three districts likely serve different student populations.
The school does not have high school grades, so no graduation rate is reported. Data on chronic absenteeism and student-teacher ratios were not available. Information on special education and English learner populations was also missing from the available data, so those aspects of the school’s support services cannot be described here.
South Shore itself is a quiet, aging town that has been losing residents for decades. The dominant employer is a large hardwood flooring manufacturer that draws an immigrant workforce, but employment options within town are otherwise limited. Housing values are well below national averages, making the area relatively affordable for buyers. The town’s amenities include a small park, a public library branch located just outside the city limits, and an Amtrak station serving long-distance passenger rail. The overall character is one of gradual contraction rather than growth, with no major new residential development identified.
For a family considering this school, the context matters. McKell Elementary is a neighborhood school in a low-income, shrinking community where state test scores lag behind those of other county districts. The school’s fifth-grade results suggest that some students gain ground before moving on to middle school, but the younger grades showed softer numbers. Families who can provide significant academic enrichment at home may find the school’s instructional offerings less demanding than what they want. Those who value a small-town setting and are comfortable with the economic realities of the area may find the school a viable option, particularly if they are willing to engage directly with staff about how the school supports students who are behind. The lack of data on discipline, attendance, and class sizes leaves gaps that only a school visit or conversation with the principal can fill.
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