The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Webster County Middle School
Webster County Middle School, serving seventh and eighth graders in the rural county seat of Dixon, Kentucky, is a school where state assessment results paint a mixed picture for families to consider. In mathematics, roughly two out of every five students in both seventh and eighth grade met the state’s proficiency standard. Reading and language arts performance was similar, with about two in five students scoring at the proficient level in grade seven and exactly two in five in grade eight. Science results for seventh graders were notably lower, with less than a third of students reaching the proficient mark. Eighth graders took a social studies assessment, where about a third were considered proficient. Across all subjects, the proficiency rates tend to cluster below the statewide averages, and a parent looking at these numbers will want to dig deeper into what academic interventions or supports are available.
The school serves a student body where a substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic presence. The school is a regular public school, and it is not a charter or magnet. It shares a campus with the elementary school and high school, and the three buildings are connected through a shared cafeteria known as the Webster County Annex, which gives the small-town K-12 experience a sense of physical continuity.
Dixon itself is a very small town, the kind where the school district and county government are the major employers. The downtown is built around the courthouse square, with historic homes and a quiet, low-density feel. Housing costs are lower than the national median, and the town has experienced a slight population decline in recent years, with no major new development reported. The public library is a branch of the county system, but there is no public transit, and pedestrian infrastructure is limited to basic sidewalks near the courthouse. A resident or prospective parent moving to the area should know that life here is slow and residential, and the schools are central to the community.
Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the source material, so a parent with a child who has an individualized education plan or is learning English should ask the school directly about those supports. Similarly, there is no reported information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios, which are common areas of concern for middle school families. Because Webster County Middle School serves only two grades, it does not have a graduation rate, and the state testing data covers only those two grade levels.
The academic picture is the clearest piece of evidence here. Proficiency rates in math and reading are modest, and science lags further behind. A family that values strong achievement numbers may find the school’s results underwhelming and should look into the curriculum, intervention programs, and how the school supports students who are below grade level. For a family already rooted in this quiet, rural community, the school is the natural pathway through the upper elementary grades and into the high school, but the data suggests that active parent engagement around academics would be wise.
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