Best Public Schools in Butler, KY

Butler, Kentucky, has three listed schools—two elementary schools and one middle school, with no high school—representing both Pendleton County and Campbell County. In 2025–2026, their listed results averaged 47% proficient, about 4 percentage points above the matched state average, but performance varied substantially across schools and subjects. The clearest standout is Grant’s Lick Elementary School, which led in most shared grade-and-subject comparisons.

Grant’s Lick had the highest school average, about 60%, compared with 45% at Northern Elementary School and 37% at Phillip Sharp Middle School. Grant’s Lick’s average was 15 points above Northern’s, and it led Northern by 45 points in third-grade math and 34 points in third-grade reading. Northern did better in fifth-grade writing and editing and mechanics, but its third-grade math and reading were below the state. Phillip Sharp had the lowest average and fell below the state in every listed math, reading, science, and social studies comparison; its notable strengths were eighth-grade writing at 68%, 20 points above the state, and editing and mechanics at 50%, 8 points above.

Scores changed unevenly from 2024–2025: the area average fell about 1 point, while the schools’ average advantage over the state grew from 3 to 4 points. Northern’s average declined 6 points, Grant’s Lick’s fell 2, and Phillip Sharp’s rose 5; SchoolDigger’s statewide percentile ranking also shifted, from 67th to 51st for Northern, 86th to 83rd for Grant’s Lick, and 16th to 32nd for Phillip Sharp. Class-size ratios were close, averaging 16.3 students per teacher in 2024–2025, from 15.9 at Northern to 16.9 at Grant’s Lick. For context, free/reduced lunch eligible rates that year were 59% at Northern, 56% at Phillip Sharp, and 45% at Grant’s Lick; these figures describe the schools and do not explain their results.