Belfry Elementary, Belfry KY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Belfry Elementary

Belfry Elementary is a regular public school serving students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the small, unincorporated community of Belfry, Kentucky. The community sits in the coalfields of Pike County, a rural area along U.S. Route 319 where the coal industry has left a deep imprint on local history and economic life. Population in Belfry has been declining, and the housing market reflects that trend, with home values well below state and national benchmarks and a sharp year-over-year drop in the most recent data. For a parent or resident, the context here is a close-knit, car-dependent setting where the school is woven into daily life alongside the post office, a branch of the Pike County Public Library, and the other Belfry schools.

The student body at Belfry Elementary is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of students identifying as two or more races and even smaller numbers of Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a high-poverty category. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture. In reading, third graders posted a solid proficiency rate, and fourth graders also performed well, but fifth-grade proficiency dropped to a level that families might want to discuss with the school. Math results followed a similar pattern, with third and fourth graders showing strong proficiency rates, while fifth graders fell to a much lower rate. Fourth-grade science proficiency came in below the midpoint, and fifth-grade social studies was a soft spot. Overall the school’s proficiency index places it above the midpoint relative to districts in Pike County, but the available comparison is limited to only two districts in the county, so the position carries less weight than it would in a larger cohort.

Because Belfry Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism and discipline was not available. No program offerings were listed in the data, and the district brief turned up little information about recent changes or initiatives. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what enrichment or intervention programs are in place, particularly in the upper elementary grades where test results show a notable drop.

For a family considering Belfry Elementary, the school offers an early childhood through fifth-grade pathway in a community where housing is relatively affordable by national standards, but where population decline and a weak local housing market signal limited growth. The school’s test results are strongest in the early grades, with a clear slide in both reading and math by fifth grade, suggesting that the upper elementary years warrant a closer look from parents who value consistent academic progress. The peer environment is racially and economically homogeneous, and the school’s substantial share of students from low-income households means that federal Title I supports likely play a role, though the data did not confirm Title I status directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 56% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 55% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 54% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 58% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 64% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 68% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 53% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 57% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

This schoolPike 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 4Lower-income56%Higher-income73%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income69%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income70%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income56%36 pp gap