Middle Schools in Pendleton County

Pendleton County has one middle school, Phillip Sharp Middle School, serving grades 6–8 and enrolling 420 students. With no other local middle school to compare, the clearest picture comes from its results against Kentucky’s. In 2025–26, the school’s average across the ten reported grade-and-subject results was 37%, compared with 42% statewide. The most consistent concern is mathematics: Phillip Sharp averaged 25% across grades 6–8, versus 40% for Kentucky.

Grade 8 writing was the school’s standout result: 68% proficient, 20 percentage points above the state’s 48%. Grade 8 editing and mechanics was also stronger than the state, at 50% versus 42%, an 8-point advantage. Math was below the state in every tested grade: grade 6 was 31% versus 42%, grade 7 was 22% versus 39%, and grade 8 was 23% versus 39%. Grade 7 reading was another notable shortfall, at 38% compared with 50% statewide. These results point to a mix of strengths and challenges within the school, rather than one uniformly strong or weak subject profile.

Results improved overall from 2024–25: Phillip Sharp’s average rose from 32% to 37%, while the state average slipped from 43% to 42%, narrowing the school’s average gap from 12 points to 6. The change was uneven: grade 8 writing jumped from 32% to 68%, while grade 7 science dipped from 19% to 17%. SchoolDigger ranked Phillip Sharp 223 of 326 schools, at the 32nd percentile with 2 stars in 2025–26, improving from rank 270 of 320, the 16th percentile and 1 star the prior year. As context, its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 16.1, and 56% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible in school year 2024–25.