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Letcher Elementary & Middle School

Q: Is Letcher Elementary & Middle School a good school?

Letcher Elementary & Middle School ranks 462 nd of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

462^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Letcher Elementary & Middle School is a public school in Blackey, Kentucky, serving 336 students in grades K-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.

Letcher Elementary & Middle School faces significant academic challenges, with consistently low proficiency rates in subjects like mathematics and reading compared to state and county averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's math proficiency ranged from 22% to 43%, while the state average was 40% to 44%. The school's reading proficiency also lagged behind, ranging from 23% to 53% compared to the state's 42% to 50%. These academic struggles are seen across different student subgroups, with the school's rankings for female and male students falling well below the state averages.

Beyond academics, Letcher Elementary & Middle School faces other challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25% to 55.6% in 2024-2025, and increasing dropout rates, from 0.0% in 2022-2023 to 1.1% in 2024-2025. The school also serves a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 79.46% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. While the school has seen increased per-student spending and a lower student-teacher ratio, these changes have not translated into improved academic outcomes. Nearby schools in the Letcher County School District and surrounding districts face similar challenges, suggesting that broader community and regional factors may be contributing to the persistent struggles faced by Letcher Elementary & Middle School.

322

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,186

Per pupil spending ?

76.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

160 LHS Drive
Blackey, KY 41804

(606) 633-2524

District: Letcher County

Racial breakdown:

White:

100.0%

See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

Compare Letcher Elementary & Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2023 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 30 percentile points since 2023

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Letcher County

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (39% vs 44% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (56% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Science scores 12 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg39%

Kentucky avg44%

Elementary school

462^nd of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▲ up 30 pts since 2023

From bottom 3% (2023) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

212^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 10 pts since 2023

From bottom 24% (2023) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	462 of 685	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.3	565 of 685	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	669 of 687	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	512 of 648	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	554 of 644	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	3.3	633 of 639	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	42.1	392 of 672	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.8	509 of 665	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.1	661 of 670	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	391 of 653	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.6	523 of 652	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	629 of 652	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	27.7	499 of 659	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	602 of 659	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.3	656 of 658	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	212 of 320	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	13.2	294 of 324	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	250 of 327	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	205 of 298	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	7.5	285 of 300	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	226 of 295	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	77.2	4 of 24	83.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	192 of 314	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.3	270 of 311	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	231 of 309	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	183 of 303	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.9	230 of 304	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.5	199 of 307	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	28.8	230 of 314	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	297 of 316	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	260 of 320	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)42nd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile+8 vs school

White (2025)24th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)21st percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Homeless (2025)83rd percentile+50 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)31st percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)27th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Editing and Mechanics54%+6 vs state

Reading42%-6 vs state

Social Studies36%-3 vs state

Writing35%-8 vs state

Mathematics34%-8 vs state

Science25%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Letcher Elementary & 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 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
Letcher Elementary & Middle School	Public	K-8	160 LHS Drive	Blackey	41804	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 633-2524	322	21	15.3	76.1%	322 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.9	462^nd of 685 public elementary schools	32.6%		21.3	565^th of 685 public elementary schools	17.5%	103	41.0	33.0	33.0	32.0	22.0	43.0	53.0	23.0	39.0	52.0	48.0	38.0	25.0		30.0	40.0	33.0	38.0	64.0	45.0	$22,186	$1,974	$3,163	$5,138	$10,401	$3,958	$14,361
West Whitesburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	330 Park St	Whitesburg	41858	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 633-9538	462	34	13.7	68.2%	448 (97.0%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	30.7	499^th of 685 public elementary schools	27.2%		32.1	478^th of 685 public elementary schools	30.2%	21	39.0	19.0	20.0				51.0	36.0	44.0				30.0		33.0		40.0		33.0		$23,677	$1,925	$3,119	$5,044	$11,899	$3,968	$15,834
Carr Creek Elementary School	Public	K-8	8596 S Hwy 160	Littcarr	41834	Knott County	Knott County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 642-3833	369	27	13.6	73.7%	356 (96.5%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	71.5	159^th of 685 public elementary schools	76.8%		55.8	285^th of 685 public elementary schools	58.4%	126	80.0	88.0	38.0	35.0	31.0	36.0	76.0	85.0	60.0	55.0	42.0	36.0	58.0		47.0	42.0	53.0	42.0	40.0	50.0	$16,672	$1,135	$1,037	$2,172	$11,879	$2,621	$14,500
Cowan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3125 Hwy 931 S	Whitesburg	41858	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 633-7195	246	17	14.7	78.0%	238 (96.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	31.1	494^th of 685 public elementary schools	27.9%		14.8	605^th of 685 public elementary schools	11.7%	111			30.0	33.0	50.0	37.0	28.0	50.0	24.0	50.0	68.0	43.0	41.0				39.0	47.0	30.0	63.0	$22,174	$1,714	$3,129	$4,843	$10,994	$4,583	$14,822
Robert W Combs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	9165 Hwy 15 S	Happy	41746	Perry County	Perry County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 476-2518	325	25	13.2	83.7%	319 (98.2%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	21.7	563^rd of 685 public elementary schools	17.8%		22.4	557^th of 685 public elementary schools	18.7%	6	23.0		17.0	31.0	25.0	35.0	47.0	42.0	19.0	58.0	28.0	47.0				56.0	14.0	50.0	19.0	47.0	$21,622	$2,344	$1,346	$3,690	$12,370	$3,162	$15,532
Arlie Boggs Elementary School	Public	K-8	1099 Hwy 806	Eolia	40826	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 633-4654	110	8	13.2	79.1%	106 (96.4%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)								(n/a)	37.0						37.0											24.0		47.0	$25,608	$1,735	$3,261	$4,996	$12,951	$4,847	$17,765
Martha Jane Potter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	55 Kona Dr	Whitesburg	41858	Letcher County	Letcher County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 855-7544	273	20	13.9	67.4%	264 (96.7%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	28.8	511^th of 685 public elementary schools	25.4%		42.8	394^th of 685 public elementary schools	42.5%	117	30.0	27.0	32.0				30.0	27.0	57.0				27.0		19.0		28.0		64.0		$22,029	$1,989	$3,109	$5,098	$10,337	$3,903	$14,207
Viper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	20 Eddington Ln	Viper	41774	Perry County	Perry County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 439-3837	282	19	15.1	80.5%	277 (98.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	67.5	194^th of 685 public elementary schools	71.7%		61.8	236^th of 685 public elementary schools	65.5%	42	52.0	40.0	48.0	64.0	50.0	28.0	81.0	80.0		64.0	65.0	52.0	29.0		41.0		41.0	55.0	63.0		$22,936	$2,137	$1,561	$3,698	$12,948	$3,868	$16,816
Hindman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	875 W Main St	Hindman	41822	Knott County	Knott County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 785-5872	434	32	13.5	71.2%	426 (98.2%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49.7	339^th of 685 public elementary schools	50.5%		40.3	414^th of 685 public elementary schools	39.6%	75	40.0	34.0	33.0	54.0	42.0	30.0	60.0	49.0	69.0	60.0	51.0	43.0			21.0	57.0	38.0	21.0	40.0	43.0	$17,131	$1,523	$3,020	$4,543	$10,627	$1,961	$12,588
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Letcher Elementary & Middle School

How many students attend Letcher Elementary & Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 322 students attended Letcher Elementary & Middle School.

What district is Letcher Elementary & Middle School in?

Letcher County

What is the racial makeup of Letcher Elementary & Middle School?

Students at Letcher Elementary & Middle School are 100% White.

Is Letcher Elementary & Middle School a good school?

Letcher Elementary & Middle School ranks 462^nd of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Letcher Elementary & Middle 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.