West Hardin Middle School, Cecilia KY

Original Research by School Decision on West Hardin Middle School

West Hardin Middle School serves grades six through eight as a regular public school within the Hardin County district. It is located in Cecilia, a small unincorporated community and census-designated place in Hardin County, about a short drive west of Elizabethtown, the county seat. Cecilia was historically a railroad junction town and today functions as a quiet rural residential community within the Elizabethtown–Fort Knox metropolitan area. A significant portion of the area served by the Cecilia post office now falls within Elizabethtown city limits, indicating suburban spillover from the larger city. The CDP’s population has been essentially stagnant or slightly declining in recent years, and no major new housing developments or commercial projects were publicly identified in search results. The school itself sits on a highway-oriented corridor, with the built environment reflecting the area’s railroad and road infrastructure rather than a pedestrian core.

Enrollment at West Hardin Middle School is around the size typical for a school serving three middle grades. The student body is majority white, with Hispanic students comprising the next largest group, and smaller shares of Black students, students of two or more races, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, placing the school in a context where economic need touches a substantial share of families. Data on the share of students with an Individualized Education Program and the share who are English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about how these populations are served.

On the Kentucky Summative Assessment, the school’s proficiency rates show a pattern that varies by subject and grade level. In English language arts, performance ranges from a little above half of students scoring proficient or above in sixth grade to just under half in eighth grade, with seventh grade falling in between. In math, the share of students meeting the proficiency bar rises across the grades, from around two-fifths in sixth grade to half in eighth grade. Science proficiency for seventh graders is lower, at roughly one-third of students. Social studies proficiency for eighth graders stands at about two-fifths. When placed relative to other districts in Hardin County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the top quartile, though the comparison set is small, with only two districts in the county. These results give a picture of a middle school where English and math performance is mixed across grades, science is a softer spot, and social studies lands in a middle range. A parent may want to look into the school’s approach to science instruction and how it supports students who are not yet reaching proficiency.

Because the school does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate is reported.

No recent parent-relevant changes at the district level were found in publicly available sources. Housing values in the area around Cecilia place home prices near the statewide benchmark and below the national figure, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is comparable to the estimated rent payment, which may matter for families weighing whether to buy or rent. The area is part of the larger Elizabethtown–Fort Knox economy, and the unemployment rate has remained moderate. For a family considering this school, the picture is that of a middle school in a stable, small-town setting with economic ties to a larger metro area, where academic performance on state tests is strongest in some middle grades for math and shows room for growth in science.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 34% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 42% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 37% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 50% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 39% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Science

Grade 732%

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

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 35% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

This schoolHardin 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 6Lower-income50%Higher-income68%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income62%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income60%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income46%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income52%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income62%21 pp gap