Best Public Schools in Zip Code 42653

Summary:

The 42653 zip code is home to a single public elementary school, Whitley City Elementary School, which serves grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 561 students. The school is part of the McCreary County school district, which is ranked 79 out of 157 districts in Kentucky and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whitley City Elementary School appears to be a relatively strong performer compared to the county and state averages. The school outperforms the McCreary County and Kentucky state averages in the percentage of students proficient or better in Mathematics, Reading, Science, Writing, and Editing/Mechanics on the Kentucky State Assessments (KSA). For example, in 5th grade Reading, 71% of Whitley City students were proficient or better, compared to 68% in McCreary County and 50% statewide. Additionally, Whitley City Elementary has a lower chronic absenteeism rate than the state average and spends more per student than the state average.

Despite serving a student population with significant economic challenges, as indicated by the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (83.78%), Whitley City Elementary School is making positive strides. The school's improving statewide ranking and star rating from SchoolDigger suggest that it is effectively supporting student achievement and well-being, even in the face of economic adversity.

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
Whitley City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2819 N Hwy 27	Whitley City	42653	McCreary County	McCreary County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 376-2690	547	36	15.1	85.2%	528 (96.5%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	74.5	139^th of 685 public elementary schools	79.7%		61	245^th of 685 public elementary schools	64.2%	106	53.0	58.0	56.0	59.0	57.0	71.0	43.0	47.0	46.0	67.0	$16,492	$2,435	$1,191	$3,626	$9,345	$2,492	$9,890

Cities Near Zip Code 42653

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Stearns	0.78 mi	2	276^th
Whitley City	2.97 mi	1	46^th
Pine Knot	4.19 mi	2	48^th
Williamsburg	16.49 mi	10	110^th
Burnside	20.33 mi	1	8^th

See the top KY Kentucky cities

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.