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Appalachian Challenge Academy

Public Grades 9-12

Summary

Appalachian Challenge Academy is a public high school located in Grays Knob, Kentucky, serving grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 00 students. The school is part of the Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies district, which is ranked 149 out of 159 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

For the 2023-2024 school year, Appalachian Challenge Academy ranked 202 out of 290 Kentucky high schools and received a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, placing it in the bottom third of high schools in the state. The school's performance is particularly low for male students, who ranked 202 out of 262 Kentucky high schools with a 1-star rating. Additionally, the school's 57.1% four-year graduation rate is significantly lower than the nearby Harlan County High School (89.2%) and Harlan High School (84.2%), indicating a concerning issue with student retention and completion.

Appalachian Challenge Academy's academic performance is also a concern, with proficiency rates on the ACT and Kentucky State Assessments (KSA) significantly lower than the state averages across multiple subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Reading. For example, the school's 11th-grade proficiency rate in ACT/Mathematics was 13%, compared to the state average of 30%. This suggests that the school is struggling to prepare its students for college and career readiness. The school's leadership and the Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies district should prioritize addressing these issues to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes for the students.

100

Students ?

n/a

Student/teacher ratio ?

Free/discounted lunch ?

465 Grays Drive
Grays Knob, KY 40829

(502) 607-5950

District: Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.0%

African American:

9.0%

Two or more races:

3.0%

See top rated Kentucky public schools

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At a glance

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (27% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Kentucky average (57% vs 92%)

!English scores 25 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2023-2024) ?

This school27%

District avg31%

Kentucky avg40%

Not ranked this year

Appalachian Challenge Academy did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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)

White (2024)34th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2024)23rd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2023-2024) ?

Editing and Mechanics44%~ state avg

Reading31%-11 vs state

English19%-25 vs state

Mathematics13%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Appalachian Challenge Academy

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 5th Grade	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Science 11th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th 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
Appalachian Challenge Academy	Public	9-12	465 Grays Drive	Grays Knob	40829	Harlan County	Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(502) 607-5950	100			3.0%	86 (86.0%)	9 (9.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)								(n/a)
Harlan High School	Public	5-12	420 E Central St	Harlan	40831	Harlan County	Harlan Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 573-8750	455	27	17.0	54.9%	402 (88.4%)	17 (3.7%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	87.2	15^th of 254 public high schools	94.1%		92.7	10^th of 290 public high schools	96.6%	5	47.0	55.0	34.0	33.0	54.0	42.0	61.0	47.0	50.0	57.0	28.0	34.0	27.0	48.0		40.0	38.0	59.0	34.0	67.0	61.0	$30,750	$3,013	$1,416	$4,429	$15,528	$4,071	$19,599
Harlan County High School	Public	9-12	4000 N US Hwy 119	Baxter	40806	Harlan County	Harlan County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 574-2020	945	68	13.8	81.2%	889 (94.1%)	22 (2.3%)	20 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.3%)	42.5	158^th of 254 public high schools	37.8%		62.8	94^th of 290 public high schools	67.6%	64					34.0					25.0					50.0			37.0			44.0	$20,889	$2,394	$2,241	$4,635	$8,535	$3,502	$12,037

Frequently Asked Questions about Appalachian Challenge Academy

What district is Appalachian Challenge Academy in?

Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies

What is the racial makeup of Appalachian Challenge Academy?

Students at Appalachian Challenge Academy are 86% White, 9% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Appalachian Challenge Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 100 students attended Appalachian Challenge Academy.

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Schools in Grays Knob, KY

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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.