Best Public Schools in Winchester, KY

Winchester, Kentucky, has eight listed schools—four elementary, two middle, one high school and one alternative school—serving elementary through high-school grades in the Clark County district. The 2025–26 results show both schools with strengths and schools with substantial weak spots, rather than one consistent pattern across the area. The most important finding is that results vary sharply by school and grade, so an area-wide picture can hide meaningful differences in students’ experiences.

Shearer Elementary School is the clearest elementary bright spot: it scored 45% in grade 3 math and 53% in reading, above state results of 43% and 49%, and was close to the state in grade 4 reading and science. At the other end, William G. Conkwright Elementary had 23% in grade 4 reading versus 50% statewide and 22% in science versus 40%; the grade 4 reading gap between those schools was 25 points. Robert D. Campbell Junior High stood out in grade 8 editing and mechanics, with 53% versus 42% statewide. George Rogers Clark High School exceeded the state in four grade 11 subjects. Cardinal Innovation Center had low grade 10 math and reading results—16% and 27%, respectively, versus 40% and 49% statewide.

Results relative to the state improved on average at Shearer by 3 points and Campbell by 2 points between 2024–25 and 2025–26, while Willis H. Justice Elementary School moved back by about 1 point; trends were not uniform. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking percentiles also rose for Clark (42 to 65) and Shearer (28 to 50), but fell for Strode Station Elementary School (43 to 32) and Justice (43 to 35). Attendance is a concern even at Clark: chronic absenteeism was 42%, compared with 24% statewide; at Cardinal it was 71%. All schools report free/reduced lunch eligible figures for 2024–25; among elementary schools, these ranged from 59% at Strode Station to 72% at Conkwright. Conkwright’s student-teacher ratio was 11.7, compared with Shearer’s 14.4, despite Shearer’s stronger results on several tests. These figures provide context, not explanations, and Cardinal’s small alternative-school setting limits direct comparisons.