Hunter Hills Elementary School, Corbin KY

Original Research by School Decision on Hunter Hills Elementary School

Hunter Hills Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, located on US 25 south of the main part of Corbin. The school is part of the Laurel County school district, and its address places it in a corridor that straddles the line between small-town and rural surroundings. The building draws students from a wide attendance zone that includes portions of southern Laurel County, where housing is modestly priced relative to state and national averages.

Academically, Hunter Hills shows a pattern that varies noticeably by grade and subject. Third-grade students posted reading and math results well above the school’s own overall average, with a strong majority meeting Kentucky’s proficiency benchmark. Fifth graders also performed solidly, particularly in reading, where about three-quarters of students scored proficient or above. Social studies in fifth grade was also respectable, with more than half of students meeting the bar. The fourth-grade picture is softer: math proficiency was markedly lower, and science, which is tested only in fourth grade, was the weakest subject across the school, with roughly a third of students reaching proficiency. That dip may reflect a transitional grade or a curriculum area that families may want to ask the school about directly. Compared with the other district in Laurel County, Hunter Hills’ overall proficiency index lands below the midpoint, meaning there is room for growth relative to its neighbor.

The school serves a student body that is predominantly white, with a modest share of students from Hispanic and multiracial backgrounds. A very large majority of students come from households with low enough incomes to qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a factor that often correlates with additional state and federal support. The school does not report chronic absenteeism data or discipline figures in the available sources, so those dimensions of school climate are not part of this profile.

Corbin is a small city that grew modestly in recent years and functions as a commercial and tourism hub for the southeastern Kentucky region. The local economy mixes healthcare, rail transport, manufacturing, and tourism centered on the legacy of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Housing costs in the zip code covering this part of the county are well below the state average, and the area has seen some annexation activity as the city extends services into Laurel County. The school itself is located along a highway corridor, so most families drive their children to school.

For a family considering Hunter Hills, the immediate questions are about the academic variability across grades. The third and fifth grades appear to be strong points; the fourth grade appears to be a year when students may need extra attention, especially in math and science. The school’s high rate of economic disadvantage means that it likely receives Title I resources, but the data provided does not confirm that status. A visit or conversation with the principal to ask about support for fourth graders and science instruction would be a reasonable step. The school is the only elementary option in its part of the county, so for families living in the attendance zone, this is their assigned public school. The community is small and affordable, with a traditional downtown and access to nearby state parks and recreation areas, but without a strong walkable street life outside of festival events.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 64% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 65% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 62% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 68% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 70% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 72% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median

Science

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 49% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 62% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolLaurel 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-income68%Higher-income75%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income67%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income65%Higher-income80%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income50%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income78%31 pp gap