High Schools in Barren County

Barren County has two high schools: Barren County High School, serving grades 9–12, and College Street Campus, serving grades 6–12. They differ greatly in size, with 1,220 students at Barren County High School and 25 at College Street. The clearest concern in the reported results is College Street’s high chronic absenteeism: 40% in 2025–2026, compared with 21% at Barren County High School.

Barren County High School stands out for graduation and some academic results, while College Street Campus has the higher reported absenteeism. Barren County High School’s 2025–2026 graduation rate was 99%, 5 points above the state and 1 point above the district. Its strongest subject result was Editing and Mechanics: 50% proficient, 10 points above the state. Reading was a weaker spot, with 40% proficient, 9 points below the state. College Street’s chronic absenteeism was 17 points above the state rate of 24% and 23 points above the district rate of 17%. College Street’s school-level proficiency values are suppressed, so its academic standing cannot be compared with Barren County High School.

Barren County High School’s subject results were mixed over time: Editing and Mechanics rose 7 points and Social Studies rose 3, while Mathematics fell 6 points, Writing fell 5, Science fell 4, and Reading fell 2. Its six-subject average moved from 41% to 40% between the two years, while the state average edged from 39.0% to 39.3%; the school’s average lead over the state narrowed from about 2 points to nearly zero. SchoolDigger ranked Barren County High School at the 55th percentile in 2025–2026, down from 61 the year before. College Street’s student-teacher ratio was lower, 6.2 compared with 15.8, but its 40% absenteeism remains a concern. In 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible students made up 84% at College Street and 49% at Barren County High School, a 35-point difference.