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Harlan County School District

251 Ball Park Rd
Harlan, KY 40831
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Harlan County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Kentucky for:

Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 7 public preschools serving 2,034 students in Harlan County School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Kentucky.
Public Preschools in Harlan County School District have an average math proficiency score of 38% (versus the Kentucky public pre school average of 42%), and reading proficiency score of 44% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 5% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Kentucky public preschool average of 24% (majority Hispanic and Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (KY)
# Schools
11 Schools
542 Schools
# Students
3,347 Students
226,650 Students
# Teachers
252 Teachers
15,354 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Harlan County School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 171 school districts in Kentucky (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 91% has decreased from 96% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (KY)
#86 out of 172 school districts
(Top 50%)
39%
38%
42%
45%
18%
22%
91%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.09
0.41
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
2%
9%
% Black
1%
8%
% White
95%
76%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,387 is higher than the state median of $14,250. The school district revenue/student has grown by 34% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,197 is higher than the state median of $13,989. The school district spending/student has grown by 25% over four school years.
This School District
This State (KY)
Total Revenue
$55 MM
$9,360 MM
Spending
$54 MM
$9,189 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,387
$14,250
Spending / Student
$16,197
$13,989

Best Harlan County School District Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Cawood Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
51 Nola St
Cawood, KY 40815
(606) 573-2502
Gr: PK-8 | 209 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 5%
Rank: #22.
Evarts Elementary School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
132 Keister St
Evarts, KY 40828
(606) 837-2386
Gr: PK-8 | 348 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 4%
Rank: #33.
Green Hills Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
123 W Hwy 221
Bledsoe, KY 40810
(606) 558-3533
Gr: PK-8 | 128 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 10%
Rank: #44.
James A. Cawood Elementary School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
279 Ball Park Rd
Harlan, KY 40831
(606) 573-5029
Gr: PK-8 | 283 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 2%
Rank: #55.
Wallins Elementary School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
993 Hwy 219
Wallins Creek, KY 40873
(606) 664-3444
Gr: PK-8 | 359 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 2%
Rank: #66.
Cumberland Elementary School
(Math: 35% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
322 Golf Course Rd
Cumberland, KY 40823
(606) 589-2511
Gr: PK-8 | 451 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #77.
Black Mountain Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1555 Hwy 215
Evarts, KY 40828
(606) 837-2214
Gr: PK-8 | 256 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 7%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 3,347 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 5%
  • : 91% (Top 50% in KY)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 39% (Top 50%)
  • : 42% (Btm 50%)
  • : 18% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), KY Dept. of Education

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