Lebanon Middle School, Lebanon KY

Original Research by School Decision on Lebanon Middle School

Lebanon Middle School serves students in eighth and ninth grades, an unusual grade span that places it somewhere between a traditional middle school and a junior high. It is a regular public school in Lebanon, the seat of Marion County. The school sits within the Marion County district, which is the only district in the county, so there is no local comparison set available.

The student body is about the size that would be expected for a school covering two grades. A substantial majority of students are white, with smaller shares who are Hispanic and Black, and a very small number of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multitracial students. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals a moderate-income community with some concentrated economic need.

State test results for the 2024-25 school year tell a mixed story. In English language arts, proficiency rates across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades run from a little above half to just under half of students meeting the state’s benchmark. Math results vary more noticeably by grade. Seventh-grade math is the strongest subject area, with a solid majority of students scoring proficient or above. Sixth-grade math is at the midpoint, while eighth-grade math drops to just two in five students reaching proficiency. That drop is sharp enough that a parent may want to ask the school what interventions or supports are in place for eighth-grade math.

Science testing, which Kentucky administers in seventh grade, shows only about a quarter of students proficient. That is a weak spot worth noting. Social studies in eighth grade is nearer to the halfway mark.

The school does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate, and no chronic absenteeism or discipline data appear in the available records. The nine-grade structure also means that state test results are missing for ninth grade, because Kentucky does not test that grade level. A parent should verify what academic benchmarks are used for ninth graders.

Lebanon itself is a historic county seat with an antebellum downtown listed on the National Register. The town has seen modest population growth in recent years, helped by a major Diageo distillery built in 2020. Housing values in the area are slightly below the state average and well below the national average, making the community relatively affordable. The town’s economy is a mix of manufacturing, light industry, and heritage tourism, with the annual Country Ham Days festival as a civic anchor. No district-level changes were reported in recent public information that would affect families moving into the area.

For a family considering this school, the main takeaway is that academic performance is uneven, with reading generally stronger than math in eighth grade, and science a clear area of concern. The unusual grade configuration means eighth graders are the upperclassmen of the building, while ninth graders are starting high school work in a middle school setting. That arrangement may appeal to families who want a more gradual transition to high school, or it may feel like a mismatch depending on programming. The community is small, affordable, and rooted in local tradition, and the district is compact enough that there are no neighboring districts to benchmark against. A parent will want to visit, ask about the ninth-grade curriculum and supports, and inquire about the math and science instruction that produced the lower scores.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 51% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 57% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 50% · ▼ 9 pts below district

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 59% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 44% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Science

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 26% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 10 pts above state median

This schoolMarion 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-income53%Higher-income57%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income67%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income73%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income83%48 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income74%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income62%27 pp gap