Emerson Academy

Emerson Academy is a secondary school of rural-scale scale in Owensboro, Kentucky, operated by Owensboro Independent, serveing 104 students in grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 81% smaller than the state mean of about 558.

Across the 10 schools in Owensboro Independent (5,035 students total), Emerson Academy accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Emerson Academy records that 53% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 18% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 12% Black. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 86%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.4:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 16.6:1 average. Roughly 91% of students at Emerson Academy qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Daviess County (around 61%), the school's rate is north of typical.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Daviess County indicate the typical household earns roughly $68,214 per year, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. Emerson Academy is one of 37 public schools in Daviess County (combined enrollment of about 15,983 students).

The closest other public school is Hager Preschool, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a downtown setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Emerson Academy has edged up 51%, going from 69 students in 2018 to 104 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 32% to 12% across the same window.

On allk12, the feed for Emerson Academy typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.