Simmons Elementary School, Versailles KY

Original Research by School Decision on Simmons Elementary School

Simmons Elementary School is a regular public school in Versailles, Kentucky, serving students from preschool through fifth grade within the Woodford County district. The school is located on Tyrone Pike, and its enrollment of just over four hundred students makes it a mid-sized elementary for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black students and students of two or more races. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with considerable economic need.

On the Kentucky Summative Assessment, reading proficiency across the tested grades runs a bit above the midpoint, while mathematics proficiency shows a clear upward trend from third to fifth grade. Science proficiency for fourth graders and social studies for fifth graders each sit below half of students reaching the proficient level, which are areas a parent might want to follow up on with the school to understand their instructional focus and support strategies. The data does not include information on English learner populations or students with individualized education programs, and no chronic absenteeism or graduation rate is reported, which is typical for an elementary school since those metrics apply to older grades.

The comparison with other schools in Woodford County could not produce a ranking because there are only two districts in the county, too few for a meaningful comparison. That leaves the state assessment results as the main academic benchmark. The school’s performance in reading and math is mixed relative to statewide expectations, and the science and social studies results point to subjects where the school may be working to strengthen outcomes.

Versailles is a small town in the Bluegrass Region, about a short drive west of Lexington. It combines a traditional downtown centered on Main Street with the surrounding landscape of thoroughbred horse farms and bourbon distilleries. The local economy is anchored by major employers such as Woodford Reserve Distillery, prominent horse farms like Lane’s End and WinStar, and retail and healthcare businesses. The town has seen steady population growth, and the housing market reflects a median home value above the state average, with rents rising notably over the past year. Many residents commute to Lexington or other nearby areas for work.

Because the Woodford County district brief found no recent parent-relevant changes of lasting impact, there is little to report about upcoming shifts in programs, boundaries, or leadership. The district’s stability is a neutral characteristic for families weighing their options.

For a family considering Simmons, the picture is that of a mid-sized elementary school in a growing small town with a robust local economy and a notable share of students from lower-income households. Academic results show solid reading performance in the upper elementary grades and a rising math trend, while science and social studies lag behind. A parent may want to ask what interventions or enrichment are available in those subjects, and how the school supports its economically diverse student population. The setting itself, a county-seat town with horse-farm character and convenient access to Lexington, offers a distinct community context that will appeal to some families more than others.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 56% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 46% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 57% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 58% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 58% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Science

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 45% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

This schoolWoodford 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-income54%Higher-income50%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income80%40 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income39%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income34%Higher-income72%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income72%32 pp gap