Bardstown Elementary School

Bardstown Elementary School is a well-populated K-5 school in Bardstown, Kentucky, run under Bardstown Independent. The school educates 847 students in grades 2 through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 101% above the state mean of about 421.

Bardstown Independent runs 6 schools in total, collectively educating 2,869 students. Bardstown Elementary School is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Bardstown Elementary School records that the largest single group is White, at 66% of enrollment. The remainder consists of 14% multiracial, 11% Black, 8% Hispanic. By comparison, Nelson County as a whole is about 90% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Bardstown Elementary School logs 54 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.6:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 55% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

After controlling for student poverty, Bardstown Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 44.6%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Nelson County) logs that median household earnings sit near $69,562, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Nelson County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,047 students), Bardstown Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Bardstown Alternative School, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Bardstown Elementary School at 1st of 5; the average score across the group is 36.6%.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Bardstown Elementary School has edged up 38%, going from 616 students in 2018 to 847 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 16.6:1 in 2018 to 15.6:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.