Hugh C. Spalding Academy

Hugh C. Spalding Academy is an alternative public virtual school located in Lebanon, Kentucky, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 133 students. The school is part of the Marion County School District, which is ranked 63 out of 159 districts in Kentucky and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's lower test scores compared to the county and state averages, Hugh C. Spalding Academy has maintained a strong 92.2% four-year graduation rate, which is significantly higher than the state average. However, the school's test scores are consistently lower across various subjects and grade levels, with only 15% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT/English, compared to 42% in the county and 44% in the state. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75% to 80.81% over the past three school years, suggesting a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio at the school has fluctuated significantly, ranging from 49.5 in 2020-2021 to 152 in 2021-2022 and 133 in 2022-2023, which may impact the quality of instruction and student support.

The high graduation rate at Hugh C. Spalding Academy is a notable achievement, but the school faces significant challenges in helping students achieve proficiency in core academic areas. The high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients and the variability in the student-teacher ratio may be contributing factors to the school's academic performance challenges. Further investigation into the school's resources, teaching practices, and support systems, as well as comparisons to other schools in the Marion County School District or the state, could provide valuable insights to help the school address these issues and improve student outcomes.