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Cawood Elementary School

Q: Is Cawood Elementary School a good school?

Cawood Elementary School ranks 224 th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

224^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Cawood Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Cawood, Kentucky, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 209 students. The school is part of the Harlan County School District, which is ranked 52 out of 157 districts in Kentucky and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cawood Elementary School has consistently outperformed the Harlan County and Kentucky averages in various subject areas and grade levels, particularly in Mathematics and Reading. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Cawood Elementary School had 85% of 7th-grade students proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 45% for Harlan County and 43% for Kentucky. In Reading, Cawood Elementary School had 64% of 4th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 58% for Harlan County and 50% for Kentucky. The school has also shown strong performance among specific student subgroups, such as male students, white students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Cawood Elementary School has maintained relatively low dropout rates, the school has faced challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.0% to 53.1% in the 2024-2025 school year. This high rate of economic disadvantage likely contributes to the school's challenges with chronic absenteeism, which can have a significant impact on student learning and achievement. However, Cawood Elementary School has shown a pattern of consistent improvement in its statewide rankings and SchoolDigger ratings over the years, moving from a 2-star rating in 2016-2017 to a 5-star rating in 2022-2023. The school generally outperforms the nearby Cumberland Elementary School, Wallins Elementary School, and Evarts Elementary School, but James A. Cawood Elementary, located about 5 miles away, is a close competitor in terms of academic performance.

209

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,390

Per pupil spending ?

86.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

51 Nola St
Cawood, KY 40815

(606) 573-2502

District: Harlan County

Students who attend Cawood Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Harlan County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.7%

Two or more races:

1.4%

African American:

1.0%

See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

Compare Cawood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2014 → 67th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kentucky average (53% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2014

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Harlan County

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (53% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Writing scores 10 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg43%

Kentucky avg41%

Elementary school

224^th of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

79^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 20 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 8Elementary Schools in the Harlan County

52^nd of 157Harlan 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	63.7	224 of 685	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	83.9	75 of 685	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	84.0	69 of 687	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	35.6	446 of 684	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.0	149 of 700	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	268 of 691	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.2	397 of 694	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.8	357 of 690	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.6	312 of 698	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	41.7	440 of 705	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.2	344 of 719	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	32.6	524 of 713	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	79.6	98 of 688	85.8%	★★★★☆
2010	65.1	229 of 683	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	37.2	459 of 658	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	70.4	166 of 651	74.5%	★★★★☆
2007	89.3	44 of 638	93.1%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	70.7	41 of 206	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	98.6	6 of 474	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	94.2	24 of 445	94.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	74.9	98 of 639	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	55.5	248 of 641	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.9	311 of 671	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	309 of 663	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	86.5	2 of 18	88.9%	★★★★★
2019	80.2	4 of 40	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	71.7	9 of 34	73.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	88.0	38 of 672	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	52 of 665	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	90.0	24 of 670	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	49.0	314 of 667	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.3	90 of 631	85.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	69.7	151 of 653	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	98 of 652	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	85.7	54 of 652	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	75.7	118 of 676	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	63.2	220 of 665	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	36.4	473 of 661	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	56.4	268 of 659	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.8	92 of 659	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	94 of 658	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	29.1	480 of 656	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	68.3	154 of 592	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	53.5	276 of 593	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	79 of 320	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	90.0	15 of 324	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	88.0	22 of 327	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	22.1	259 of 320	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.5	111 of 335	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	117 of 322	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.5	141 of 330	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	37.5	226 of 331	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.5	151 of 337	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.7	188 of 335	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.0	203 of 335	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.1	213 of 319	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	78.7	45 of 304	85.2%	★★★★☆
2010	78.2	50 of 299	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	54.9	124 of 289	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	38.9	182 of 287	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.6	128 of 284	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2018	99.2	4 of 219	98.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	87.7	17 of 295	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	9.4	287 of 299	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	153 of 299	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.8	138 of 290	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	93.3	1 of 21	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	48.2	12 of 22	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.8	5 of 58	91.4%	★★★★★
2018	76.5	4 of 32	87.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	78.3	47 of 314	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	94.4	4 of 311	98.7%	★★★★★
2023	96.6	4 of 309	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	37.2	196 of 310	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.4	77 of 303	74.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	69.6	62 of 307	79.8%	★★★★☆
2022	41.5	167 of 304	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.0	75 of 303	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	60.4	96 of 293	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	40.2	192 of 294	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	97 of 314	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	87.9	20 of 316	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	84.2	31 of 320	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	17.3	275 of 314	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.4	94 of 266	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.2	146 of 253	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)94th percentile+27 vs school

Homeless (2023)89th percentile~ school

Female (2023)85th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)80th percentile+45 vs school

Male (2025)77th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)59th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2019)28th percentile-50 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2018)98th percentile+35 vs school

Homeless (2023)95th percentile~ school

Female (2023)94th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)85th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2023)80th percentile-13 vs school

White (2025)69th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2019)35th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics67%+25 vs state

Social Studies56%+17 vs state

Reading52%+6 vs state

Science50%+16 vs state

Writing34%-10 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Cawood Elementary 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 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th 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 Science 4th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th 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
Cawood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	51 Nola St	Cawood	40815	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-2502	209	16	13.0	86.6%	200 (95.7%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	63.7	224^th of 685 public elementary schools	67.3%		83.9	75^th of 685 public elementary schools	89.1%	149		44.0			85.0	72.0		64.0				39.0	44.0	55.0	28.0	39.0	67.0	44.0			$25,390	$3,682	$2,044	$5,726	$11,331	$3,227	$14,558
James A. Cawood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	279 Ball Park Rd	Harlan	40831	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-5029	277	25	10.9	83.0%	273 (98.6%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	62.5	232^nd of 685 public elementary schools	66.1%		66.5	198^th of 685 public elementary schools	71.1%	34	45.0	58.0	40.0	44.0	55.0	56.0	73.0	79.0	53.0	72.0	36.0	59.0		32.0	17.0	66.0	40.0	53.0	53.0	69.0	$26,118	$3,597	$2,074	$5,671	$10,588	$3,445	$14,033
Black Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1555 Hwy 215	Evarts	40828	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 837-2214	248	22	11.2	90.7%	236 (95.2%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	45.2	377^th of 685 public elementary schools	45.0%		61	244^th of 685 public elementary schools	64.4%	133	46.0	37.0	42.0	28.0			42.0	59.0	42.0	40.0			41.0				50.0	20.0	50.0	67.0	$24,494	$3,747	$2,097	$5,844	$11,072	$3,508	$14,580
Evarts Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	132 Keister St	Evarts	40828	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 837-2386	335	24	13.9	88.1%	320 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	52.7	315^th of 685 public elementary schools	54.0%		61.6	238^th of 685 public elementary schools	65.3%	77	26.0	50.0	33.0	61.0	17.0	19.0	32.0	70.0	54.0	77.0	39.0		35.0		44.0	70.0	33.0		46.0	70.0	$19,232	$3,185	$2,182	$5,367	$9,426	$2,760	$12,186
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
Rosspoint Elementary School	Public	K-8	132 Hwy 522	Baxter	40806	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-4600	369	25	14.7	77.2%	361 (97.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	60.7	246^th of 685 public elementary schools	64.1%		66	207^th of 685 public elementary schools	69.8%	39	33.0	52.0	49.0	41.0	58.0	43.0	42.0	73.0	54.0	63.0	55.0	46.0	58.0	53.0	24.0	69.0	51.0	49.0	61.0	69.0	$23,811	$2,620	$2,102	$4,722	$8,951	$2,900	$11,851
Green Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	123 W Hwy 221	Bledsoe	40810	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 558-3533	147	11	13.3	83.7%	132 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	75.1	135^th of 685 public elementary schools	80.3%		75.6	117^th of 685 public elementary schools	82.9%	18	43.0		50.0	57.0	67.0	67.0	57.0		63.0	71.0		60.0					56.0	67.0	63.0	73.0	$25,385	$3,438	$2,102	$5,540	$14,170	$3,418	$17,588
Wallins Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	993 Hwy 219	Wallins Creek	40873	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 664-3444	352	28	12.8	81.0%	344 (97.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	29	508^th of 685 public elementary schools	25.8%		32.6	474^th of 685 public elementary schools	30.8%	34	24.0		24.0	28.0	18.0	43.0	47.0	35.0	41.0	63.0	29.0	27.0	29.0		22.0	59.0	35.0	41.0	35.0	51.0	$21,698	$3,039	$2,143	$5,182	$9,972	$2,846	$12,818
Cumberland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	322 Golf Course Rd	Cumberland	40823	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 589-2511	428	32	13.2	83.4%	381 (89.0%)	22 (5.1%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	37.9	448^th of 685 public elementary schools	34.6%		47.4	348^th of 685 public elementary schools	49.2%	100	27.0	36.0	33.0	45.0	57.0	46.0	45.0	39.0	45.0	62.0	81.0	48.0	42.0	52.0	23.0	37.0	30.0	48.0	43.0	74.0	$18,775	$3,149	$2,082	$5,231	$8,849	$3,022	$11,871
Right Fork School Center	Public	PK, KG-8	5296 Hwy. 221	Stoney Fork	40988	Bell County	Bell County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 337-3271	152	14	11.0	91.4%	147 (96.7%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	44.3	387^th of 685 public elementary schools	43.5%					(n/a)		33.0		33.0	73.0		55.0			67.0	45.0	55.0	27.0					55.0		36.0	$41,599	$3,654	$77	$3,731	$27,584	$5,164	$32,748

Frequently Asked Questions about Cawood Elementary School

Is Cawood Elementary School a good school?

Cawood Elementary School ranks 224^th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cawood Elementary School?

Students at Cawood Elementary School are 96% White, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Cawood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 209 students attended Cawood Elementary School.

What district is Cawood Elementary School in?

Harlan County

What schools do graduates of Cawood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cawood Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Harlan County High School

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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.