East Jessamine Middle School, Nicholasville KY

Original Research by School Decision on East Jessamine Middle School

East Jessamine Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Nicholasville, Kentucky, a rapidly growing suburb just south of Lexington that has transformed from a small county seat into one of the state’s larger towns. The school sits within Jessamine County Schools, the district for the county.

Academically, the school’s state test results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, about half of seventh graders met the state’s proficiency benchmark, while shares in sixth and eighth grades were slightly lower. Math proficiency rates were modest across all three grades, with roughly two out of five students reaching the proficiency level. Science results, which apply only to seventh graders, were lower, a pattern a family might want to ask the school about directly. Eighth grade social studies proficiency was in a similar range to the math and reading results. Because there is only one district in Jessamine County, no direct comparison to a nearby peer district is available. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available for this profile.

The student body is diverse in socioeconomic terms, with a majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Racially and ethnically, the school is predominantly white, with notable Hispanic and Black populations, smaller Asian and multiracial shares, and very small numbers of Native American and Pacific Islander students. The total enrollment is substantial for a middle school, and each grade level has a comparable number of students.

Nicholasville itself has grown quickly in recent decades, fueled by its position in the Lexington metropolitan area and development along the US Highway 27 corridor. It functions largely as a commuter town and a retail hub for Jessamine County. The housing market shows home values in a moderate range for central Kentucky, with rents rising. The town’s built environment is heavily automobile-oriented, centered on the highway corridor, though a traditional downtown Main Street remains. Recreational amenities include Lake Mingo and a county park, and the Jessamine County Public Library serves residents. The growth trajectory continues with ongoing residential and commercial development, meaning the school’s enrollment context is one of expansion rather than stability.

Because the district brief turned up no recent large changes or controversies to report, the school’s profile remains shaped by its academic results and community setting rather than active policy shifts. There are no advanced or specialized program offerings listed in the available data, so families looking for magnet or themed pathways may need to ask the school directly about electives and enrichment.

For a family considering East Jessamine Middle School, the primary takeaway is a school that sits in a fast-growing suburb and serves a majority low-income student body. Academic proficiency is strongest in reading at the seventh grade level and weaker in math and science. The surrounding community is expanding and car-dependent, with housing that remains within reach for many middle-income households relative to national benchmarks but shows upward pressure on rents. A parent who values a traditional middle school setting in a growing exurban area near Lexington may find this school a reasonable fit, but should probably inquire about specific supports for students not yet meeting proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 43% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 51% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 41% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 52% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median

Science

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 42% · ▼ 4 pts below district

even with state median

This schoolJessamine 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-income43%Higher-income58%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income45%Higher-income63%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income33%Higher-income51%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income51%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income62%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income44%13 pp gap