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

Nicholas County Elementary School

Q: Is Nicholas County Elementary School a good school?

Nicholas County Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.2% 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

581^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Nicholas County Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Carlisle, Kentucky, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 645 students. The school is part of the Nicholas County School District, which is ranked 142 out of 157 districts in Kentucky and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.4% to 38.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in various subjects, is consistently below the state averages, with proficiency rates in mathematics and reading for grades 3-6 ranging from 21% to 49%, compared to the state averages of 41% to 52%. The school's performance on various student subgroups, such as female, male, white, special education, low socioeconomic status, and gifted and talented students, is also consistently lower than the state averages.

When comparing Nicholas County Elementary School to the nearby schools, such as Northside Elementary School, Southside Elementary School, and North Middletown Elementary School, it becomes evident that the school is performing significantly worse than its peers. Despite the relatively high spending per student, ranging from $20,639 to $30,318 over the past few years, the academic performance does not seem to reflect this higher level of spending, indicating that there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed.

645

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,660

Per pupil spending ?

66.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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 — 34th percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (30% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg30%

Kentucky avg45%

581^st of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 34% (2015) to bottom 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

142^nd of 157Nicholas 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	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
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
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
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
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
2019	43.5	412 of 661	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
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 (2019)38th percentile-4 vs school

Homeless (2023)28th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)10th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile-8 vs school

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

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Editing and Mechanics35%-12 vs state

Reading33%-16 vs state

Mathematics30%-13 vs state

Science24%-13 vs state

Social Studies17%-21 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Nicholas County Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Nicholas County Elementary 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 Nicholas County 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 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	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
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%)	18.5	581^st of 685 public elementary schools	15.2%		15.9	596^th of 685 public elementary schools	13.0%	15	34.0	24.0	21.0	39.0	30.0	33.0	21.0	49.0	24.0		17.0	35.0	$26,660	$3,558	$661	$4,219	$15,236	$1,821	$22,920
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%)	58.2	272^nd of 685 public elementary schools	60.3%		54.1	307^th of 685 public elementary schools	55.2%	35		41.0	46.0			47.0	54.0		53.0	58.0	35.0	50.0	$19,348	$2,205	$422	$2,627	$11,512	$2,661	$14,173
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%)	19.3	575^th of 685 public elementary schools	16.1%		35.8	454^th of 685 public elementary schools	33.7%	121	23.0		26.0		34.0	44.0	32.0			23.0	29.0	27.0	$18,670	$2,315	$394	$2,710	$11,147	$2,316	$13,463
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%)	22.9	549^th of 685 public elementary schools	19.9%		43.1	392^nd of 685 public elementary schools	42.8%	157		24.0	23.0	27.0	34.0	27.0	40.0	66.0	31.0	30.0	19.0	23.0	$13,594	$1,403	$747	$2,151	$8,421	$3,022	$11,444
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%)	22.6	554^th of 685 public elementary schools	19.1%		31.4	489^th of 685 public elementary schools	28.6%	65	29.0	18.0	39.0		29.0	35.0	34.0		18.0		41.0	38.0	$13,959	$1,082	$241	$1,323	$9,759	$2,130	$11,889
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%)	12.2	626^th of 685 public elementary schools	8.6%		16.8	588^th of 685 public elementary schools	14.2%	38	34.0	38.0	18.0		26.0	25.0	24.0			6.0	22.0	15.0	$15,870	$1,958	$425	$2,383	$9,239	$2,410	$11,648
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%)	39.9	434^th of 685 public elementary schools	36.6%		44.6	373^rd of 685 public elementary schools	45.5%	61	47.0	48.0	41.0		40.0	44.0	46.0		28.0	37.0	39.0	27.0	$12,742	$1,235	$290	$1,525	$9,786	$1,943	$10,494
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%)	40	431^st of 685 public elementary schools	37.1%		35.9	453^rd of 685 public elementary schools	33.9%	22	29.0	60.0	45.0		31.0	40.0	50.0		23.0	18.0	40.0	60.0	$15,258	$1,664	$259	$1,923	$10,204	$2,351	$12,554
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%)	26.5	523^rd of 685 public elementary schools	23.6%		23.8	545^th of 685 public elementary schools	20.4%	22	30.0	28.0	27.0		39.0	41.0	37.0		27.0	40.0	31.0	37.0	$18,131	$2,088	$410	$2,497	$10,742	$2,279	$13,021
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%)	47.9	351^st of 685 public elementary schools	48.8%		43.2	390^th of 685 public elementary schools	43.1%	39	59.0	52.0	38.0		54.0	58.0	34.0			38.0	23.0	38.0	$14,201	$1,522	$248	$1,770	$9,787	$1,907	$11,694

Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholas County Elementary School

What district is Nicholas County Elementary School in?

Nicholas County

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.

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

Is Nicholas County Elementary School a good school?

Nicholas County Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.2% of Kentucky elementary schools.

How many students attend Nicholas County Elementary School?

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

Rate Nicholas County Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

KYKentucky Elementary School Rankings

KYKentucky District Rankings

Schools in Carlisle, KY

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Nicholas County Elementary 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.