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Nicholas County Elementary School

Q: Is Nicholas County Elementary School a good school?

Nicholas County Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.3% of Kentucky elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Nicholas County Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 645 students attended Nicholas County Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Nicholas County Elementary School?

Students at Nicholas County Elementary School are 92% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

607^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 684 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Nicholas County Elementary School in Carlisle, Kentucky, serves 645 students from prekindergarten through grade 6, the largest enrollment among the 10 nearby schools in the comparison. The central concern is broad academic underperformance: in 2025–2026, proficiency was below Kentucky’s in every reported subject and grade, and matched results for the Nicholas County district; the largest gap was in writing, where 11% were proficient compared with 35% statewide.

Third-grade math is a relative bright spot locally: 35% proficiency was above the nearby-school average of 30%, though below the state’s 43%. Results in grades 4 and 5 math were weaker, at 20% and 21%, compared with nearby averages of 37% and 35%. Reading is the school’s strongest subject in comparison with local peers, but still trails them: its grade 3–5 average was 38%, versus 43% nearby and 50% statewide. Writing is weakest against both the state and nearby schools: 11% were proficient, compared with 35% statewide and an average of 29% at six nearby schools with reported results.

Results have moved in different directions over time: average reading proficiency for grades 3–6 rose from 32% in 2022–2023 to 39% in 2025–2026, while the comparable math average fell from 26% to 21%. SchoolDigger ranks the school 607th of 684 Kentucky elementary schools, at the 11th percentile with one star; its percentile has fallen from 42 in 2015–2016. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings show a relative strength in how well the school serves students receiving special education, at the 36th percentile compared with 11th overall. Its ranking for how well it serves homeless students was at the 0th percentile in 2025–2026, down from the 28th percentile in 2022–2023. As context, 66% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–2025, versus a nearby average of 62%, and the 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 17.6, above the nearby average of 15.9. Chronic absenteeism improved, falling from 36% in 2023–2024 to 21% in 2025–2026, below the state’s 24%.

645

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,352

Per pupil spending ?

66.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

133 School Drive
Carlisle, KY 40311

(859) 289-3785

District: Nicholas County

Students who attend Nicholas County Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Nicholas County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.4%

Hispanic:

5.0%

Two or more races:

1.6%

See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

Compare Nicholas County Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2016 → 11th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (28% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg28%

Kentucky avg45%

607^th of 684

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

151^st of 158Nicholas 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
2026	15.5	607 of 684	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	581 of 685	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	596 of 685	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	594 of 687	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	552 of 684	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.2	467 of 517	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	46.4	408 of 700	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.3	538 of 691	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	39.1	469 of 694	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.0	397 of 690	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.5	462 of 698	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.0	491 of 705	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.7	446 of 719	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	36.0	492 of 713	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.4	392 of 688	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.8	433 of 683	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	26.3	534 of 658	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	19.1	568 of 651	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	20.0	558 of 638	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	40.3	251 of 474	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.5	263 of 445	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	12.1	607 of 657	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.4	581 of 648	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	563 of 644	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	561 of 639	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	512 of 641	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.0	404 of 671	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.8	537 of 663	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	17.2	8 of 8	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	18 of 18	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	37.7	13 of 18	27.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.0	15 of 17	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.5	24 of 40	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.7	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	20.2	590 of 674	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.2	584 of 672	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	572 of 665	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	562 of 670	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	578 of 667	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.5	374 of 664	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.7	468 of 631	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	571 of 651	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.3	489 of 653	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	547 of 652	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	544 of 652	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.8	553 of 657	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.1	414 of 676	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	490 of 665	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	202 of 314	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.5	412 of 661	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	10.2	625 of 650	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.6	609 of 659	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	628 of 659	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.9	617 of 658	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	578 of 656	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.1	384 of 592	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.1	510 of 593	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2019)47th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile+24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile~ school

Male (2026)12th percentile~ school

Female (2026)8th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)4th percentile-7 vs school

Homeless (2026)<1st percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)<1st percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2025-2026) ?

Reading38%-12 vs state

Editing and Mechanics33%-15 vs state

Mathematics24%-18 vs state

Science24%-16 vs state

Social Studies18%-20 vs state

Writing11%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nicholas County Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				KSA Mathematics (2026)				KSA Reading (2026)				KSA Science (2026)	KSA Writing (2026)	KSA Social Studies (2026)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Science 4th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nicholas County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	133 School Drive	Carlisle	40311	Nicholas County	Nicholas County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 289-3785	645	36	17.6	66.2%	596 (92.4%)	4 (0.6%)	32 (5.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.6%)	15.5	607^th of 684 public elementary schools	11.3%		18.5	581^st of 685 public elementary schools	15.2%	26	35.0	20.0	21.0	22.0	39.0	38.0	36.0	41.0	24.0	11.0	18.0	33.0	$16,352	$2,697	$10,875
North Middletown Elementary School	Public	K-5	301 College Street	North Middletown	40357	Bourbon County	Bourbon County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 987-2052	128	9	13.6	75.8%	112 (87.5%)	1 (0.8%)	14 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	5.6	667^th of 684 public elementary schools	2.5%		58.2	272^nd of 685 public elementary schools	60.3%	395	14.0	26.0			18.0							16.0	$17,903	$1,135	$16,629
Cane Ridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	8000 Bypass Road	Paris	40361	Bourbon County	Bourbon County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 987-2106	453	32	14.3	56.1%	367 (81.0%)	4 (0.9%)	59 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)	25	538^th of 684 public elementary schools	21.3%		19.3	575^th of 685 public elementary schools	16.1%	37	21.0	26.0	27.0		36.0	44.0	39.0		32.0	10.0	31.0	55.0	$16,930	$1,693	$15,237
Ewing Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5651 Elizaville Rd.	Ewing	41039	Fleming County	Fleming County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 267-2601	369	25	14.9	54.5%	350 (94.9%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	19.8	579^th of 684 public elementary schools	15.4%		22.9	549^th of 685 public elementary schools	19.9%	30		26.0	23.0		31.0	32.0	48.0	37.0	34.0		21.0	37.0	$17,257	$937	$16,320
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1226 US Hwy 62 E	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 234-7121	399	24	16.5	53.1%	372 (93.2%)	9 (2.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)	20.9	569^th of 684 public elementary schools	16.8%		22.6	554^th of 685 public elementary schools	19.1%	15	17.0	31.0	35.0		37.0	30.0	35.0		30.0		23.0	44.0	$14,012	$1,205	$11,830
Paris Elementary School	Public	K-5	1481 S Main St	Paris	40361	Bourbon County	Paris Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 987-2166	346	19	18.2	74.3%	185 (53.5%)	65 (18.8%)	53 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.1%)	13.5	623^rd of 684 public elementary schools	8.9%		12.2	626^th of 685 public elementary schools	8.6%	3		31.0	31.0		26.0	37.0	31.0		23.0	6.0	18.0	27.0	$16,241	$1,259	$12,043
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	106 Education Dr	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 234-7120	409	22	18.4	55.5%	352 (86.1%)	8 (2.0%)	20 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	42.3	403^rd of 684 public elementary schools	41.1%		39.9	434^th of 685 public elementary schools	36.6%	31	40.0	36.0	41.0		42.0	55.0	51.0		30.0	32.0	32.0	54.0	$13,622	$1,102	$11,551
Northside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2415 US Hwy 27 N	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 234-7114	292	18	16.1	61.6%	255 (87.3%)	3 (1.0%)	13 (4.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.8%)	27.5	523^rd of 684 public elementary schools	23.5%		40	431^st of 685 public elementary schools	37.1%	92	33.0	47.0	44.0		38.0	43.0	42.0		21.0		16.0	26.0	$16,686	$1,761	$13,896
Bourbon Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	367 Bethlehem Road	Paris	40361	Bourbon County	Bourbon County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 987-2195	459	32	14.5	68.0%	336 (73.2%)	23 (5.0%)	77 (16.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.0%)	29.3	504^th of 684 public elementary schools	26.3%		26.5	523^rd of 685 public elementary schools	23.6%	19	30.0	39.0	28.0		45.0	46.0	43.0		28.0	23.0	30.0	41.0	$16,677	$1,623	$15,054
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1585 KY Hwy 356	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 234-7115	360	21	17.0	56.1%	318 (88.3%)	7 (1.9%)	14 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	58	263^rd of 684 public elementary schools	61.5%		47.9	351^st of 685 public elementary schools	48.8%	88	46.0	58.0	42.0		48.0	47.0	61.0		36.0	52.0	37.0	58.0	$14,437	$1,548	$11,906

Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholas County Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Nicholas County Elementary School?

Students at Nicholas County Elementary School are 92% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Nicholas County Elementary School a good school?

Nicholas County Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.3% of Kentucky elementary schools.

What district is Nicholas County Elementary School in?

Nicholas County

How many students attend Nicholas County Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 645 students attended Nicholas County Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Nicholas County Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Nicholas County Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Nicholas County High School

Rate Nicholas County Elementary School!

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Latest Kentucky data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 15, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 KSA test scoresOct 15, 2026

2024–25 KSA test scoresOct 30, 2025

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.