The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Flat Lick Elementary School
Flat Lick Elementary School serves the youngest students in Knox County, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, in a small rural community in southeastern Kentucky. The unincorporated area of Flat Lick has no downtown or municipal center, and the school itself sits along a state highway in a low-density setting where residents typically drive to nearby Barbourville or other towns for work and services. The local population has been declining, and the housing market reflects that trend, with home values in the area well below state and national benchmarks and a year-over-year drop in value.
Flat Lick Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it is the only school in the immediate community. Nearly all of the student body is white, based on available data, and a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need in the community. The school is small, which can mean more individualized attention but also limits the range of programs and extracurriculars found in larger elementary schools.
On state assessments for the 2024-25 school year, Flat Lick Elementary posted results that exceed the typical pattern for Knox County elementary schools. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades landed in the top quartile relative to other schools in the county, meaning it outperformed the county median. In math, students in grades three, four, and five each showed proficiency rates in the mid-fifties, a consistent showing across all three tested grades. Reading results were more varied. Third graders posted a lower proficiency rate, while fourth and fifth graders were higher, with fourth grade reaching the highest reading proficiency among all tested grades and subjects at the school. Science, tested in fourth grade, showed a lower proficiency rate, and social studies, tested in fifth grade, landed at around half of students meeting the standard. The pattern across grade levels suggests that the school has areas of strength, particularly in upper-elementary reading and consistent math performance, while science and reading in third grade are weaker points that a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand how these subjects are addressed.
Because Flat Lick Elementary serves only early grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, access to advanced coursework, or staffing ratios. These gaps are typical of an elementary school profile and do not indicate a problem, but a family looking for detailed information on school climate or class sizes would need to ask the school directly.
The school operates within the Knox County district, which covers the entire county and includes Barbourville, the county seat, and other small communities. The district itself did not have any recent parent-relevant changes reported publicly, so families are unlikely to encounter major disruptions or policy shifts in the near term.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a small, rural elementary school with above-average test performance for its county, serving a population with significant economic need. The community offers little commercial or civic infrastructure, and housing is affordable relative to much of the country. Parents who value a close-knit, low-cost rural setting and a school that performs solidly within its local context may find it a good fit. Families looking for a wider range of academic or enrichment programs, or those concerned about the lower science and early-reading results, would want to learn more about how the school supports those areas.
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