The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr. William H. Perry Elementary School
Dr. William H. Perry Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky, within the Jefferson County Public Schools system. The school serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its location is in a part of Louisville that is predominantly commercial and industrial in character, close to major roads and the Ohio River corridor. Louisville itself is a low-density, car-dependent city that covers a large land area following its merger with Jefferson County; the economy is driven by health care administration, air cargo logistics, bourbon production, and tourism, with employers such as UPS, Humana, and Yum! Brands anchoring the region.
The student body at Perry Elementary is modest in size for a K-5 school. The large majority of students are Black, with small numbers of white, Hispanic, and multiracial students also enrolled. The school serves a population with concentrated economic need; a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not report data on the share of students with individualized education programs or those classified as English learners, so the full picture of student support needs is not available from the data provided.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, student proficiency rates across subjects are low. In third-grade math, only a small share of students scored at proficient or above, and fourth-grade math was even lower. Fifth-grade math results were suppressed, meaning the count was too small to report. In English language arts, proficiency hovered in the low teens across grades three through five. Fourth-grade science proficiency was in the single digits, and fifth-grade social studies proficiency was similarly low. The school's overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quarter when compared with districts across Jefferson County. Because Perry Elementary does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. No multi-year academic trend data is available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a recent change or a more persistent pattern. A parent considering this school would want to ask the school’s administration about what instructional supports, interventions, and enrichment opportunities are in place to address the academic challenges reflected in these results.
The school sits in a ZIP code where home values are well below the national median and below the Kentucky statewide median. Rents are also moderate by national standards. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate at the time of this data was above six percent, and the national unemployment rate was steady at around four percent. These economic conditions suggest that housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to much of the country, though household incomes in the school’s immediate neighborhood are not reported separately.
No parent-relevant changes or initiatives were found for Jefferson County Public Schools in the research conducted for this report; the search budget was exhausted before lasting developments could be confirmed. The district itself is a large, consolidated urban system serving the entire county, and Perry Elementary is one of many neighborhood schools within it. As a regular public elementary school with a high-need student population and low current test scores, it may serve families who value a close-to-home neighborhood school and are looking for a staff that works with a population facing significant economic barriers. Families weighing options are advised to visit the school, talk with the principal and teachers, and inquire about any targeted academic programs, tutoring, or community partnerships that may be in place.
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