Harlan Independent

Summary:

The Harlan Independent school district in Kentucky consists of 3 schools: 2 elementary schools (Harlan Elementary School and Sunshine School) and 1 high school (Harlan High School). While the high school is a standout performer, the elementary schools face some academic challenges.

Harlan High School is the clear academic leader in the district, consistently ranking among the top high schools in Kentucky with a 5-star rating. Students at the high school significantly outperform the state average in subjects like mathematics, reading, science, and social studies. The school also boasts an impressive 93.5% 4-year graduation rate and a low 1.1% dropout rate.

In contrast, the elementary schools in the district do not appear to be as strong academically. Harlan Elementary School is ranked in the middle of the pack for Kentucky elementary schools, with a 3-star rating. Sunshine School, being a pre-K only school, has limited academic data available, but the extremely high student-teacher ratio of 119.0 suggests potential staffing challenges. The elementary schools also serve a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

District Detail

420 E Central St
Harlan, KY 40831

(606) 573-8700

SchoolDigger Rank:
21^st of 157 Kentucky districts

See the 2025 Kentucky District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 900

Primary Schools: 1
Middle Schools: 0
High Schools: 1
Alternative Schools: 0

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)							KSA Reading (2025)							KSA Science (2025)			KSA Writing (2025)		KSA Social Studies (2025)			KSA Editing and Mechanics (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 4th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Science 11th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Harlan Elementary School	Public	K-4	420 E Central St	Harlan	40831	Harlan County	Harlan Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-8715	335	23	14.7	61.2%	286 (85.4%)	8 (2.4%)	6 (1.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.6%)	65.4	216^th of 685 public elementary schools	68.5%		54.5	299^th of 685 public elementary schools	56.4%	83	37.0	41.0						62.0	62.0						56.0											$30,344	$2,977	$1,728	$4,705	$15,367	$3,550	$18,917
Harlan High School	Public	5-12	420 E Central St	Harlan	40831	Harlan County	Harlan Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-8750	455	27	17.0	54.9%	402 (88.4%)	17 (3.7%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	87.2	15^th of 254 public high schools	94.1%		92.7	10^th of 290 public high schools	96.6%	5			47.0	55.0	34.0	33.0	54.0			42.0	61.0	47.0	50.0	57.0		28.0	34.0	27.0	48.0	40.0	38.0	59.0	34.0	67.0	61.0	$30,750	$3,013	$1,416	$4,429	$15,528	$4,071	$19,599
Sunshine School	Public	PK	304 Surgener St	Harlan	40831	Harlan County	Harlan Independent	No	No	No	No	(606) 573-8714	110	1	110.0	53.6%	99 (90.0%)	4 (3.6%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.5%)								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Harlan County	2.51 mi	11	52^nd
Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies	2.98 mi	2
Bell County	15.33 mi	7	35^th
Leslie County	16.01 mi	5	14^th
Kentucky Technical System	20.63 mi	53

See the top KY Kentucky districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.