Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Whitesburg Middle School

Q: Is Whitesburg Middle School a good school?

Whitesburg Middle School ranks 158 th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

158^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 320 Kentucky Middle Schools

Better than 51% of Kentucky middle schools

Summary

Whitesburg Middle School is a public middle school in Whitesburg, Kentucky, serving 189 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Letcher County School District, which is ranked 95 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Whitesburg Middle School has shown strong performance for its special education and disabled student subgroups, ranking 20th and 11th out of Kentucky middle schools respectively, the school's overall statewide ranking has declined from 41st out of 282 in 2020-2021 to 158th out of 320 in 2024-2025. This is in contrast to the nearby Fleming Neon Middle School, which has maintained a relatively stable ranking in the 110-123 range over the same period. Whitesburg Middle School generally outperforms the Letcher County and statewide averages in mathematics and reading proficiency, particularly in the 7th and 8th grades, but struggles in science and social studies.

Concerning trends at Whitesburg Middle School include a rising dropout rate, from 0.0% in 2022-2023 to 1.1% in 2024-2025, and high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25.0% to 60.0% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average. The school has also seen a significant increase in its per-student spending, from $12,971 in 2020-2021 to $21,137 in 2023-2024, suggesting potential challenges in effectively allocating resources to address the diverse needs of its student population.

191

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,137

Per pupil spending ?

64.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

366 Park St
Whitesburg, KY 41858

(606) 633-2761

District: Letcher County

Students who attend Whitesburg Middle School usually attend:

High:

Letcher County Central High School

Feeder schools for Whitesburg Middle School:

Elementary:

West Whitesburg Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

99.0%

Hispanic:

0.5%

Two or more races:

0.5%

See top rated Kentucky middle schools

Compare Whitesburg Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 82nd percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Kentucky median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2015

!Editing and Mechanics scores 15 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg44%

Kentucky avg43%

158^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 32 pts since 2015

From top 18% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Letcher County

95^th of 157Letcher 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	48.2	158 of 320	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.1	152 of 324	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.0	142 of 327	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.9	71 of 320	77.8%	★★★★☆
2021	73.7	41 of 282	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	48 of 335	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.0	43 of 322	86.6%	★★★★☆
2017	69.9	70 of 330	78.8%	★★★★☆
2016	63.1	106 of 331	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	72.3	60 of 337	82.2%	★★★★☆
2014	64.8	97 of 335	71.0%	★★★★☆
2013	66.3	84 of 335	74.9%	★★★★☆
2012	43.4	187 of 319	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.8	154 of 304	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.4	128 of 299	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.3	162 of 289	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	36.5	192 of 287	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.1	192 of 284	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	73.6	11 of 111	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	91.7	8 of 226	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	97.6	7 of 219	96.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	142 of 298	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.4	142 of 300	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.7	69 of 295	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	61.8	79 of 299	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	32 of 299	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	73.9	52 of 290	82.1%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	50.1	12 of 24	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	23.6	24 of 28	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.1	16 of 58	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.4	7 of 32	78.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	48.3	149 of 314	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.8	96 of 311	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.1	61 of 309	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	77.8	32 of 310	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	84.8	18 of 303	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	87.8	9 of 285	96.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	129 of 303	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	153 of 304	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.2	211 of 307	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.0	59 of 304	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.8	58 of 303	80.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.3	40 of 293	86.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	73.4	20 of 124	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.5	43 of 294	85.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	177 of 314	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	182 of 316	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	165 of 320	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.3	90 of 314	71.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2022)90th percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2023)84th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2025)57th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)52nd percentile~ school

Homeless (2025)50th percentile~ school

White (2025)44th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Reading51%+4 vs state

Mathematics47%+5 vs state

Social Studies38%~ state avg

Editing and Mechanics34%-15 vs state

Science26%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Whitesburg Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Whitesburg Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Whitesburg 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
Whitesburg Middle School	Public	6-8	366 Park St	Whitesburg	41858	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 633-2761	191	11	17.2	64.9%	189 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	48.2	158^th of 320 public middle schools	50.6%		49.1	152^nd of 324 public middle schools	53.1%	6	39.0	54.0	47.0	45.0	65.0	43.0	26.0		38.0	34.0	$21,137	$1,616	$3,107	$4,723	$10,259	$3,359	$13,606
Fleming Neon Middle School	Public	6-8	50 Second Street	Neon	41840	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 855-9042	131	9	14.7	58.0%	127 (96.9%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)	62.4	110^th of 320 public middle schools	65.6%		56.5	119^th of 324 public middle schools	63.3%	9	34.0	65.0	30.0	48.0	65.0	45.0	52.0	65.0	45.0	55.0	$26,171	$1,959	$3,166	$5,125	$12,761	$5,472	$18,200

Frequently Asked Questions about Whitesburg Middle School

How many students attend Whitesburg Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 191 students attended Whitesburg Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Whitesburg Middle School attend?

Students who attend Whitesburg Middle School usually go on to attend Letcher County Central High School

What district is Whitesburg Middle School in?

Letcher County

What is the racial makeup of Whitesburg Middle School?

Students at Whitesburg Middle School are 99% White.

Is Whitesburg Middle School a good school?

Whitesburg Middle School ranks 158^th of 320 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Whitesburg Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

KYKentucky Middle School Rankings

KYKentucky District Rankings

Schools in Whitesburg, KY

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Whitesburg Middle School!

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.