Pulaski Elementary School, Somerset KY

Original Research by School Decision on Pulaski Elementary School

Pulaski Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade in Somerset, the county seat of Pulaski County. It is a regular public school within the Pulaski County district. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving this grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic makeup of the surrounding community.

On state assessments, the school shows a clear strength in English language arts. In third grade, roughly two-thirds of students scored proficient or above, and the rate held near that level in fifth grade. Fourth-grade ELA was slightly lower but still solid. Math proficiency rates were more moderate, clustering around the mid-to-high fifties across all three tested grades. Science, tested only in fourth grade, had a lower proficiency rate, and a parent may want to ask the school about science instruction and support. Social studies, tested in fifth grade, landed around the middle of the range.

When measured against the other school districts in Pulaski County, Pulaski Elementary’s overall proficiency across subjects and grades sits in the top tier. The comparison set is small—three districts—so being at the top of that group is meaningful but should be understood within a narrow local context. Still, it signals that this school is performing relatively well among its immediate neighbors.

Somerset functions as a regional commercial and service hub for the Lake Cumberland area, with healthcare, retail, and tourism anchoring the economy. The city has seen modest population growth in recent years, and housing values are close to the statewide median but below the national figure. A severe tornado caused significant damage in the area in 2025, which may still affect local conditions. The built environment is car-oriented, with a downtown historic core and separate campuses for Somerset Community College and other institutions. Families moving here for the school should expect a low-density, commuting-dependent setting.

No recent district-wide changes were found in publicly available information that would directly affect this school. Because Pulaski Elementary serves only elementary grades, it does not have a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism data, or high school course access metrics. Those measures simply do not apply here.

For a family weighing this school, the academic picture is one of solid reading and language skills, more variable math performance, and a science score that deserves a closer look. The school’s position as a top performer among its county peers is a positive mark. The student body is economically diverse, with a majority of children receiving meal assistance, and the setting is a small city with a regional draw and a modest housing market.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 58% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 59% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 63% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 61% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 63% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 67% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 50% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 59% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolPulaski 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-income53%Higher-income74%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income80%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income45%Higher-income91%46 pp gap