Summary:
ZIP code 40965 has two schools serving different grade spans: Yellow Creek School Center serves prekindergarten through grade 8 and enrolls 575 students, while Middlesboro Elementary School serves prekindergarten through grade 4 and enrolls 514. Their most useful direct comparisons are in grades 3 and 4. The clearest overall finding is that Yellow Creek had higher results in every directly comparable, unsuppressed 2025–2026 subject-and-grade result: its leads were 24 points in grade 4 math, 28 points in grade 4 science, and 24 and 7 points in grade 3 and grade 4 reading, respectively.
Yellow Creek stands out as the stronger performer overall: its grade-level averages were above the matching state averages in every subject, with advantages of 34 points in writing, 21 in science, 20 in reading, 17 in editing and mechanics, 15 in social studies, and 11 in math. Writing was its strongest subject, averaging 76% across grades 5 and 8, compared with 42% statewide. Middlesboro has some stronger results, including 56% in grade 4 reading versus 50% statewide, but its grade 4 math result was a notable low point: 23%, compared with 43% statewide and Yellow Creek’s 47%. Middlesboro’s grade 4 science result was 32%, against 40% statewide and 60% at Yellow Creek.
Results changed unevenly over time. At Yellow Creek, reading rose 6 points and writing 9 points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, while math fell 3 points and editing and mechanics fell 5; Middlesboro’s grade 4 math rose 3 points, but its grade 3 reading fell 13 as grade 4 reading rose 11. SchoolDigger ranks Yellow Creek 124th of 684 statewide, with 4 stars, and Middlesboro 506th, with 1 star. In 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible students were 85% at Yellow Creek and 84% at Middlesboro; student-teacher ratios were 16.1 and 14.7. Chronic absenteeism in 2025–2026 was 31% and 34%, respectively, compared with 24% statewide. Middlesboro’s grade 3 math result is suppressed, and upper-grade results are available only for Yellow Creek.
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