The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Math. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cold Hill Elementary School
Cold Hill Elementary School is a regular public school in London, Kentucky, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Laurel County school system, a district that covers the county seat and its surrounding rural and suburban areas. For a family looking at this school, the core question is what academic foundation a child would build here and what the surrounding community offers.
The school’s academic picture is clearest in math. Across the tested grades, a strong majority of students met or exceeded state proficiency standards. That performance places Cold Hill well above the midpoint among the districts in Laurel County when you look at overall proficiency across subjects and grades. Reading results are more mixed. Fourth-grade reading proficiency was solid, and fifth grade was even stronger, but third-grade reading results were suppressed and not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about that grade’s performance. Science in fourth grade was a softer area, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. Social studies in fifth grade came in at a level similar to the stronger reading results.
Because the school only goes through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to consider, and no data on chronic absenteeism was available. A family weighing these numbers should remember that elementary test results reflect one snapshot and that the school serves a population of about this size for its grade band, with most of the day focused on building foundational skills.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which tells you that economic need is present in the school community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available sources, so a parent with a child who has an Individualized Education Plan or is learning English should confirm directly with the school what support services are available and how they are staffed.
London itself is the county seat of Laurel County and functions as a small regional hub in southern Kentucky. It has a historic downtown along Main Street, commercial development near the Interstate 75 exits, and a texture that falls somewhere between small-town Appalachian and a growing micropolitan center. The area recently experienced a devastating tornado that will shape housing and rebuilding for years to come. The housing market in the broader zip code area is somewhat below the state average, and the community has a mix of older homes and newer development along the highway corridors. The school is located on West Laurel Road, outside the downtown core, on a campus that likely draws from both the town and the surrounding rural parts of the county.
No recent district-level changes were reported in public sources, so the context for Cold Hill appears stable in terms of leadership or policy shifts. The school has no charter or magnet status and is a standard elementary within a traditional public district.
For a parent considering this school, the math instruction stands out as a clear strength relative to other schools in the county. The reading picture is good at the upper elementary grades but less clear at third grade. The lower science score is worth a conversation with the school about how science is taught and what resources are in place. The student body is not economically homogenous, and the school reflects the broader demographics of Laurel County. Because there are only two districts in the county for comparison, the top-quartile label applies in a small field, but the proficiency index itself shows results well above the median of that set. A family should weigh that performance against their own priorities for early childhood education, class sizes, and the kind of community they want around their child’s elementary years.
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