The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Math. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kimper Elementary School
Kimper Elementary School serves students from preschool through eighth grade in the rural, unincorporated community of Kimper, Kentucky. Part of the Pike County school district, the school is the primary public education facility in this sparsely settled area, where daily life follows the highway corridor and there is no commercial downtown. The school building sits directly on State Highway 194 East, one of several civic structures scattered along the road. For families considering this school, the setting is a defining feature: this is a deeply rural school in a community without a traditional town center, and a parent should expect a long drive on two-lane highways to reach the school each day.
The student body at Kimper Elementary is small, serving just over a hundred students. The population is almost entirely white, with a very small number of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that positions the school in a context of higher economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so a parent may want to learn more about how the school supports those populations by speaking directly with the school.
Academically, the state testing picture is partial, because data for several grades and subjects was suppressed, often a reflection of the small class sizes typical of a school this size. A parent should understand that the results that are available cover only some grade levels and should be read with that limitation in mind. In math, third graders showed a proficiency rate that was reported, as did eighth graders. In reading, third graders posted a reported rate, and eighth graders showed a higher one. Fourth graders in science posted a lower proficiency rate. For many other grade-subject combinations, including math in grades four through seven and reading in grades five through seven, the data was suppressed, meaning the number of students tested was too small to report publicly under state rules. The overall proficiency index for the school, which averages all reported rates across tested grades and subjects, falls in the bottom quartile when compared to the only two districts in Pike County. That comparison set is very small, so the position is easy to interpret but not especially granular. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to review.
There are no program offerings listed in the data, and no information on Advanced Placement, career pathways, or dual-credit opportunities, which is expected for an elementary and middle school. Similarly, the district brief turned up no recent major changes or initiatives to report, so the district context is stable but quiet.
Housing in the Kimper area is notably affordable. Home values are a fraction of the national benchmark and below the state median, and mortgage costs are low by national standards. For a family moving to the area, housing is relatively inexpensive, but the trade-off is access to the broader amenities and employment opportunities found in Pikeville, which is about a nine-mile drive west. There are no new housing developments or commercial projects identified in Kimper, and the economic profile is consistent with a low-growth, rural place. The community's anchors are the school, a post office, and a community Baptist church. There is no public library or park in Kimper itself; families head to Pikeville for those services.
This school fits a family that values a small, rural school setting and is comfortable with very limited local infrastructure and a long commute to regional services. The academic proficiency picture is mixed, with some grade levels showing solid results and others suppressed or lower, so a parent may want to discuss academic support and intervention resources with the school directly. For a family already rooted in the eastern Kentucky coalfields region and looking for a neighborhood elementary and middle school with a very small student body, Kimper Elementary is a straightforward local option within a county district.
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