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Southern Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

527^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Southern Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Falmouth, Kentucky, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 578 students. The school is part of the Pendleton County School District, which is ranked 128 out of 157 districts in Kentucky and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southern Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky elementary schools, with a ranking between 363 and 527 out of 684-700 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on state assessments (KSA) is generally below the Pendleton County and Kentucky state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in Mathematics was 23% at Southern Elementary, compared to 36% in Pendleton County and 43% statewide. The school's performance is particularly low in Reading, with only 30-44% of 5th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 44-52% in Pendleton County and 50% statewide.

Southern Elementary School's academic performance is significantly lower than that of nearby schools, such as Northern Elementary School and Grant's Lick Elementary School, which are both ranked higher and have better test scores. The school also has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 64-70% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch over the past three years, and has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20.4% to 28.0% over the past three years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

542

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,189

Per pupil spending ?

63.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

320 Fairgrounds Rd
Falmouth, KY 41040

(859) 654-6981

District: Pendleton County

Students who attend Southern Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Phillip Sharp Middle School
High:	Pendleton County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.5%

Two or more races:

3.7%

Hispanic:

1.8%

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Compare Southern Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 20th percentile in 2015 → 23rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (33% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Reading scores 14 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg42%

Kentucky avg44%

527^th of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Pendleton County

128^th of 157Pendleton 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	26.2	527 of 685	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.3	490 of 685	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.7	387 of 687	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	363 of 684	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.7	393 of 517	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	485 of 700	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.3	554 of 691	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	50.7	349 of 694	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	37.1	481 of 690	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.8	557 of 698	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.9	618 of 705	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.9	562 of 719	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.4	445 of 713	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.1	409 of 688	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.7	472 of 683	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	70.0	182 of 658	72.3%	★★★★☆
2008	57.3	280 of 651	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	32.3	465 of 638	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	36.7	272 of 474	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.4	381 of 445	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	515 of 648	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	452 of 644	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.4	397 of 639	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.2	387 of 641	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	413 of 671	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.7	538 of 663	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	25.3	535 of 672	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	500 of 665	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.2	420 of 670	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.6	399 of 667	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.6	234 of 275	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.5	451 of 664	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.8	521 of 631	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	490 of 653	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	501 of 652	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.0	342 of 652	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.1	347 of 657	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.4	266 of 325	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.1	516 of 676	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	520 of 665	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	197 of 306	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	14.8	268 of 279	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	207 of 257	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.4	449 of 661	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	565 of 659	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	519 of 659	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.9	425 of 658	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	426 of 656	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.6	444 of 592	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.3	442 of 593	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)43rd percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2025)36th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile~ school

Female (2025)21st percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)14th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Reading35%-14 vs state

Science34%-3 vs state

Mathematics33%-10 vs state

Writing33%-5 vs state

Editing and Mechanics33%-14 vs state

Social Studies25%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern 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 Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th 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
Southern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 Fairgrounds Rd	Falmouth	41040	Pendleton County	Pendleton County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 654-6981	542	37	14.8	63.7%	507 (93.5%)	5 (0.9%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.7%)	26.2	527^th of 685 public elementary schools	23.1%		31.3	490^th of 685 public elementary schools	28.5%	37	23.0	37.0	40.0	31.0	44.0	30.0	34.0	33.0	25.0	33.0	$19,189	$668	$822	$1,491	$10,183	$2,155	$12,338
Northern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	925 Hwy 177 E	Butler	41006	Pendleton County	Pendleton County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 472-7341	501	32	15.9	58.7%	476 (95.0%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	63.7	225^th of 685 public elementary schools	67.2%		55.7	286^th of 685 public elementary schools	58.2%	61	49.0	57.0	57.0	42.0	61.0	57.0	40.0	40.0	41.0	61.0	$19,497	$563	$837	$1,400	$10,402	$2,322	$12,724
Williamstown Elementary	Public	K-5	300 Helton Street	Williamstown	41097	Grant County	Williamstown Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 824-3760	397	28	14.1	56.9%	355 (89.4%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	23.6	543^rd of 685 public elementary schools	20.7%		24.6	539^th of 685 public elementary schools	21.3%	4	17.0	35.0	45.0	26.0	25.0	42.0		16.0	36.0	36.0	$20,561	$1,119	$742	$1,862	$8,762	$2,356	$11,118
Dry Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	275 School Road	Dry Ridge	41035	Grant County	Grant County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 824-4484	400	28	14.2	63.5%	356 (89.0%)	4 (1.0%)	24 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.5%)	47.9	350^th of 685 public elementary schools	48.9%		41	406^th of 685 public elementary schools	40.7%	56	43.0	42.0	50.0	39.0	47.0	45.0	43.0	50.0	36.0	39.0	$14,314	$1,667	$97	$1,764	$12,056	$3,434	$15,596
Grant's Lick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	944 Clay Ridge Rd.	Alexandria	41001	Campbell County	Campbell County	No	No	No	No	(859) 635-2129	326	19	16.9	44.5%	289 (88.7%)	7 (2.1%)	11 (3.4%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	81.1	95^th of 685 public elementary schools	86.1%		68.3	183^rd of 685 public elementary schools	73.3%	88	76.0	59.0	65.0	79.0	63.0	71.0	37.0	57.0	55.0	53.0	$17,961	$854	$486	$1,340	$13,232	$3,388	$16,621
Mason-Corinth Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Heekin Rd.	Williamstown	41097	Grant County	Grant County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 824-9510	299	17	17.5	73.9%	280 (93.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	15.5	602^nd of 685 public elementary schools	12.1%		3.9	674^th of 685 public elementary schools	1.6%	72	28.0	26.0	22.0	41.0	40.0	22.0			17.0	22.0	$13,349	$1,396	$227	$1,624	$11,238	$3,428	$14,772
Taylor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	140 Gibson Dr	Brooksville	41004	Bracken County	Bracken County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 735-2169	490	34	14.4	60.2%	474 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	32.7	483^rd of 685 public elementary schools	29.5%		31.6	487^th of 685 public elementary schools	28.9%	4	33.0	38.0	37.0	35.0	49.0	41.0	29.0	37.0	23.0	46.0	$14,841	$1,053	$758	$1,811	$10,777	$2,253	$13,030
Sherman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3987 DIxie Hwy	Dry Ridge	41035	Grant County	Grant County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 428-5500	415	26	15.9	81.9%	342 (82.4%)	3 (0.7%)	60 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.7%)	32.2	488^th of 685 public elementary schools	28.8%		32.1	480^th of 685 public elementary schools	29.9%	8	19.0		52.0	22.0	35.0	48.0		24.0	28.0	56.0	$12,429	$705	$110	$815	$10,683	$3,870	$14,660
Piner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2845 Piner Ridge Rd	Morning View	41063	Kenton County	Kenton County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 356-2155	354	22	16.1	41.5%	325 (91.8%)	4 (1.1%)	13 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	66.3	203^rd of 685 public elementary schools	70.4%		73.7	131^st of 685 public elementary schools	80.9%	72	56.0	50.0	74.0	44.0	57.0	63.0	37.0	51.0	47.0	47.0	$16,944	$1,070	$416	$10,115	$1,248	$1,486	$11,363
Crittenden-Mt. Zion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	270 Crittenden-Mt. Zion Rd.	Dry Ridge	41035	Grant County	Grant County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 428-2171	387	19	20.3	70.5%	336 (86.8%)	5 (1.3%)	21 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (5.7%)	22.6	555^th of 685 public elementary schools	19.0%		20.8	568^th of 685 public elementary schools	17.1%	13	22.0	37.0	40.0	15.0	38.0	45.0	29.0		18.0	33.0	$12,429	$1,201	$199	$1,400	$10,703	$3,421	$14,231

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Elementary School

How many students attend Southern Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 542 students attended Southern Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Southern Elementary School?

Students at Southern Elementary School are 94% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Southern Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Southern Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Phillip Sharp Middle School
High : Pendleton County High School

What district is Southern Elementary School in?

Pendleton County

Is Southern Elementary School a good school?

Southern Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.1% of Kentucky elementary schools.

Rate Southern Elementary 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.