Hodgenville Elementary School, Hodgenville KY

Original Research by School Decision on Hodgenville Elementary School

Hodgenville Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the LaRue County school system, and all of the district’s schools are located within the town. Hodgenville itself is a small county seat best known as the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, with a historic downtown square, Lincoln Museum, and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park drawing steady visitors. The town has seen modest population growth in recent years. Families here live in a setting where tourism, local government, and the school system anchor the economy, and where the daily rhythm is small-town rather than suburban or urban.

The elementary school is one of two in the district and draws a student body that is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the community. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet.

State testing results from the most recent year show a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In reading, third graders and fifth graders both scored above the midpoint, with a majority of students reaching the proficient or distinguished level. Fourth-grade reading was lower, with less than half of students reaching that bar. In math, proficiency rates fell from third grade to fourth and further to fifth, with the fifth-grade rate being the weakest among the tested grades. Science is tested in fourth grade, and that result was lower still. Social studies, tested in fifth grade, fell roughly in the middle ground. The pattern suggests that reading is a relative strength in the earlier and later elementary years, while math performance tends to decline as students move through the grades, and science poses a particular challenge. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are not meeting benchmarks in math and science, and whether there are targeted interventions in place as students approach the middle school transition.

The district itself does not appear to have undergone major recent changes that would alter the elementary experience, based on available public reporting. The school’s program offerings beyond the core curriculum were not available in the data, so a family interested in art, music, physical education, or enrichment would want to check directly with the school.

The housing market in Hodgenville is more affordable than the national median, with home values sitting close to the statewide average. For a family considering a move, that relative affordability combined with the town’s modest size and historic character may be a draw. The community is compact enough that commuting distances within town are short, and the Elizabethtown area provides additional employment and services a short drive away.

For a family weighing Hodgenville Elementary, the core question is whether the proficiency levels, particularly in math and science, meet their expectations. The school serves a clear role in its community, and the reading results show that strong performance is possible here. But the declining math trajectory and the low science result are points that warrant a closer conversation with the school about curriculum and support.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 41% · ▲ 2 pts above district

even with state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 46% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 41% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 47% · ▲ 4 pts above district

even with state median

Science

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 33% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 37% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

This schoolLaRue 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 3Lower-income36%Higher-income79%43 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income53%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income68%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income65%35 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income45%24 pp gap