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West Carter Middle School

Q: Is West Carter Middle School a good school?

West Carter Middle School ranks 218 th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

218^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 320 Kentucky Middle Schools

Better than 32% of Kentucky middle schools

Summary

West Carter Middle School is a public middle school in Olive Hill, Kentucky, serving 375 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Carter County School District, which is ranked 83 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Carter Middle School has seen a concerning decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 53rd out of 331 Kentucky middle schools in 2015-2016 to 218th out of 320 in the most recent 2024-2025 school year. The school consistently underperforms the state and county averages in mathematics proficiency, with only 23% of 6th-graders meeting proficiency standards in 2024-2025, compared to 41% statewide and 27% in the county. Additionally, the school faces high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25% to 45.8% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state and county averages. These challenges may be exacerbated by the school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 66.67% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024.

While West Carter Middle School struggles in mathematics, the school performs better in reading and writing assessments, with proficiency rates often exceeding the state and county averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 8th-grade writing proficiency rate was 54%, compared to the state average of 49%. However, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with disabled students performing relatively well but white students and low-socioeconomic status students consistently underperforming. Nearby schools, such as Rowan County Middle School, have generally outperformed West Carter Middle School in academic assessments, particularly in mathematics and reading.

392

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,811

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 Warrior Drive
Olive Hill, KY 41164

(606) 286-5354

District: Carter County

Students who attend West Carter Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Carter County High School

Feeder schools for West Carter Middle School:

Elementary:	Olive Hill Elementary School
	Tygart Creek Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.2%

American Indian:

1.0%

Hispanic:

0.5%

See top rated Kentucky middle schools

Compare West Carter Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (39% vs 45% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg40%

Kentucky avg45%

218^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 28 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Carter County

83^rd of 157Carter County among Kentucky districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	33.9	218 of 320	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.3	162 of 324	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.9	170 of 327	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.8	151 of 320	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.0	142 of 282	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.8	99 of 335	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	67.0	84 of 322	73.9%	★★★★☆
2017	61.1	110 of 330	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.6	53 of 331	84.0%	★★★★☆
2015	56.3	134 of 337	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.1	128 of 335	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.6	117 of 335	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.3	94 of 319	70.5%	★★★★☆
2011	83.8	28 of 304	90.8%	★★★★★
2010	74.8	60 of 299	79.9%	★★★★☆
2009	78.8	43 of 289	85.1%	★★★★☆
2008	43.5	168 of 287	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.5	170 of 284	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	57.4	25 of 111	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.5	66 of 226	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	55.0	63 of 219	71.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	198 of 298	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	155 of 300	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	177 of 295	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.0	100 of 299	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.2	131 of 233	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.1	76 of 299	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	57.4	111 of 290	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	234 of 314	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.0	171 of 311	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	142 of 309	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.8	127 of 310	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.2	56 of 224	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	63.0	81 of 303	73.3%	★★★★☆
2018	73.2	45 of 285	84.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	31.9	209 of 303	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.4	163 of 304	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	155 of 307	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.3	196 of 304	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.2	114 of 222	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.8	102 of 303	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.3	62 of 293	78.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2024	23.2	108 of 130	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.5	79 of 294	73.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	27.3	235 of 314	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.4	188 of 316	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.0	192 of 320	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	188 of 314	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.2	119 of 213	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)77th percentile+25 vs school

Female (2025)34th percentile~ school

Male (2025)31st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)25th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2024)17th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Writing54%+5 vs state

Editing and Mechanics45%-4 vs state

Reading38%-9 vs state

Mathematics37%-5 vs state

Social Studies31%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near West Carter Middle School

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 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th 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
West Carter Middle School	Public	6-8	150 Warrior Drive	Olive Hill	41164	Carter County	Carter County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 286-5354	392	21	18.9	71.7%	385 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	33.9	218^th of 320 public middle schools	31.9%		46.3	162^nd of 324 public middle schools	50.0%	56	23.0	40.0	47.0	41.0	41.0	32.0		54.0	31.0	45.0	$16,811	$1,038	$2,735	$3,773	$9,254	$1,926	$11,180
East Carter Middle School	Public	6-8	1 Spirit Lane	Grayson	41143	Carter County	Carter County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 474-5156	490	24	20.6	62.4%	461 (94.1%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.5%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.0%)	37.3	205^th of 320 public middle schools	35.9%		50.6	149^th of 324 public middle schools	54.0%	56	30.0	38.0	50.0	39.0	38.0	36.0	22.0	61.0	35.0	49.0	$15,830	$871	$2,615	$3,486	$8,568	$1,945	$10,513
Elliott County Middle School	Public	6-8	351 South KY 7	Sandy Hook	41171	Elliott County	Elliott County	No	No	No	No	(606) 738-8102	190	15	12.6	70.0%	186 (97.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	10.2	304^th of 320 public middle schools	5.0%		13.4	293^rd of 324 public middle schools	9.6%	11	16.0	23.0	16.0	38.0	21.0	24.0			26.0	40.0	$16,162	$410	$325	$735	$9,907	$3,008	$11,924
Rowan County Middle School	Public	6-8	555 Viking Drive	Morehead	40351	Rowan County	Rowan County	No	No	No	No	(606) 784-8911	695	32	21.7	61.9%	637 (91.7%)	10 (1.4%)	29 (4.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.3%)	45.8	166^th of 320 public middle schools	48.1%		47.7	156^th of 324 public middle schools	51.9%	10	33.0	33.0	38.0	50.0	46.0	46.0		79.0	37.0	48.0	$19,013	$640	$420	$1,060	$7,832	$10,120	$17,952

Frequently Asked Questions about West Carter Middle School

Is West Carter Middle School a good school?

West Carter Middle School ranks 218^th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Carter Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 392 students attended West Carter Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of West Carter Middle School?

Students at West Carter Middle School are 98% White, 1% American Indian.

What district is West Carter Middle School in?

Carter County

What high school do graduates of West Carter Middle School attend?

Students who attend West Carter Middle School usually go on to attend West Carter County High School

Rate West Carter Middle School!

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Schools in Olive Hill, KY

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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.