Sturgis Elementary School, Sturgis KY

Original Research by School Decision on Sturgis Elementary School

Sturgis Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the small, rural community of Sturgis, Kentucky, part of Union County. The town itself was founded as a coal-mining company town and sits on the Tradewater River. Its population has been declining, and the local economy, once anchored by coal and the railroad, now offers limited employment, with modest median household incomes and a notable poverty rate. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it is the only elementary school within the district that is located in Sturgis itself; middle and high school students attend district-wide campuses elsewhere in the county.

Enrollment is modest, and the student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Black students and even fewer Hispanic or multiracial students. A substantial portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic challenges present in the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served.

Academic performance on the Kentucky Summative Assessment shows a mixed picture. In reading, fourth graders posted the strongest results among the tested grades, with a majority reaching proficiency. Third-grade reading was close behind, but fifth-grade reading fell below that mark. In math, proficiency rates were lower across all three tested grades, with a notable dip in third grade. Science, tested only in fourth grade, was the weakest subject, and fifth-grade social studies also had a low proficiency rate. Overall, the school’s academic results are generally below what many families would hope for, and the pattern suggests that reading in the upper elementary grades may be a particular challenge alongside math and science. A parent considering this school may want to learn what interventions or support structures are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.

The school’s grade span means there is no high school graduation rate to report here. Statewide assessment participation rates were not available, so it is unclear whether all eligible students were tested. The district itself, Union County, does not appear to have undergone any major recent changes that would affect the elementary school, based on publicly available information.

Sturgis Elementary is a small building in a shrinking town, serving a community with limited economic diversity. For families who live in Sturgis or the surrounding countryside, this is the neighborhood school for the elementary years. The peer environment is fairly homogenous by race and income. The academic results are uneven, with a few bright spots in fourth-grade reading but persistent softness in math and science. A parent may wish to visit the school, speak with teachers and the principal, and ask about how the school supports students who are below grade level, particularly in the subjects where performance is lowest. Without additional data on staffing, class sizes, discipline, or attendance, it is harder to fully assess the daily learning environment, so those are worthwhile topics to raise directly with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 32% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 29% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 33% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 41% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 40% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Science

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 22% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 27% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median

This schoolUnion 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 3Lower-income43%Higher-income58%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income56%28 pp gap