Greenwood Elementary, Louisville KY

Original Research by School Decision on Greenwood Elementary

Greenwood Elementary, a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Louisville’s Jefferson County Public Schools, offers families a clear picture of an elementary school where test results present a challenge. The school’s state assessment data from the most recent available year shows proficiency rates that are well below the district and state averages across every subject and grade level tested, putting Greenwood in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among Jefferson County elementary schools. In reading and math, the share of students scoring proficient or above declined from third to fifth grade, and by fifth grade about one in ten students met the math standard. Science and social studies results were similarly low. These numbers represent a single snapshot and a parent considering Greenwood would want to discuss with the school what instructional supports and interventions are in place.

The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, and there are also significant populations of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the school’s economic context. The school is part of Jefferson County Public Schools, a large, consolidated district. Data on English learner and special education enrollment was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about services for these populations.

Greenwood sits in Louisville, a city with a distinct character. The city’s economy is anchored by major employers including UPS, Humana, and Yum! Brands, and it has a low population density for a city of its size, meaning much of the built environment outside the urban core is car-dependent. Housing values in the school’s zip code were moderately below the national median at the time of reporting, and rents were similarly positioned, which may make this part of Louisville more accessible for some families relative to other parts of the metro area. The school’s location in the southwestern portion of Jefferson County places it in a residential and commercial zone.

Because Greenwood is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate to report. The district brief for Jefferson County Public Schools did not surface any publicly reported recent changes or initiatives, so those details are not available to include here. The school’s state test participation data was also not reported in the available data; this sometimes reflects reporting gaps rather than actual attendance issues, but it is an area a family might clarify with the school.

The core of Greenwood’s profile is the wide gap between its current academic outcomes and the state’s proficiency benchmarks. For a family focused on a school where most students are meeting grade-level standards, Greenwood would require a close look at the specific services, tutoring, and curriculum supports the school offers. For a family whose priority is a neighborhood school in a relatively more affordable part of Louisville, with a diverse student body and a regular school setting, Greenwood fits that description. The test results are what they are, and any informed decision would be made with an understanding that the school has significant room to grow academically.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 30% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 31% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 30% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

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

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 37% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 38% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 25% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 27% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolJefferson 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 4Lower-income13%Higher-income32%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income27%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income8%Higher-income32%24 pp gap