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What's the most underrated thing about Powell County High School that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
580
High
DISTRICT 318 · STATE 558
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POWELL COUNTY·NCES 210489001220
Powell County High School
700 W College Ave, Stanton, KY 40380 · (606) 663-3320 · Powell County
GRADES 09–12HIGH43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL580 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 9% of Kentucky public high schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Kentucky public high schools
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
38 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.3:1 · STATE 16.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
62%
357 students
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 63%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 147 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 144 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 135 | 23% |
| Grade 12 | 153 | 26% |
| Ungraded | 1 | 0% |
Student demographics
7%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 10% · STATE 47% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Powell County. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
KSA (K-PREP) 2024-25 . % Proficient/DistinguishedEnglish Language Arts
27.0%
KY avg 47.9%
Math
22.0%
KY avg 42.8%
What this means: On the KSA (K-PREP), Kentucky's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 22 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Kentucky schools, those numbers are about 48 and 43.
Source: KSA (K-PREP). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of KY schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
25.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
42.2%
based on KY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-16.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 26% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 42% typical for Kentucky schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Powell County High School
Powell County High School's state test result (25.5% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powell County High School this school | 580 | 61.6% | 25.5% |
| Estill County High School Irvine | 643 | 62.4% | 33.3% |
| Morgan County High School West Liberty | 527 | 63.0% | 33.5% |
| West Carter County High School Olive Hill | 506 | 62.1% | 34.5% |
| Knott County Central High School Hindman | 520 | 62.7% | 40.0% |
| Shelby Valley High School Pikeville | 503 | 63.0% | 35.3% |
Matched among Kentucky high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Powell County High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 25.5% | #190 of 211 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 22.0% | #199 of 211 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 27.0% | #200 of 211 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 580 | #143 of 304 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #56 of 217 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 7.0% | #198 of 217 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 61.6% | #89 of 230 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -13.8% | #30 of 139 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
580
-76 (-12%) vs 2020
-13% since 1990-91, when it was 668
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 580 | 38.3 | 15.1:1 | 62% (357) |
| 2023-24 | 614 | 38.5 | 15.9:1 | 67% (409) |
| 2022-23 | 651 | 41 | 15.9:1 | 59% (383) |
| 2020-21 | 656 | 40 | 16.4:1 | 61% (397) |
| 2017-18 | 673 | 42 | 16.0:1 | 69% (463) |
| 2015-16 | 679 | 43 | 15.8:1 | 71% (481) |
| 2010-11 | 710 | 46 | 15.4:1 | 69% (492) |
| 2000-01 | 740 | 49 | 15.1:1 | 47% (346) |
| 1990-91 | 668 | 38 | 17.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Powell County High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 14% (673 to 580); teachers down 9% (42 to 38.3).
About Powell County High School
Among the schools in Stanton, Kentucky, is Powell County High School, a medium-sized high school. It educates 580 students in grades 9 through 12.
Powell County has a total of 6 schools and 2,031 students, Powell County High School among them.
Federal enrollment data show Powell County High School is 96% White. The school is also 2% Hispanic. That is close to the 95% White share among all Powell County residents. The school's diversity index is 7%, meaning two students picked at random have a 7% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
Powell County High School employs 38.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. That gives a ratio of about 15.1:1. This ratio sits 1.5 below the 16.6:1 average for high schools in Kentucky. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 62% in 2024-25.
Powell County High School is graded D by allk12, scoring above 9% of Kentucky public high schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
Powell County High School is in the bottom 10% of Kentucky schools on the allk12 BeatsExpectations measure. Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 42.2%. The school's actual rate is 25.5%, 16.7 points lower.
Among Powell County residents, the median household income is $40,309, roughly 14% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 19%. Powell County High School is one of 6 public schools in the county.
The closest other public school is Powell County Middle School, less than a tenth of a mile away. Within five miles are 5 other public schools. On proficiency, Powell County High School is behind the 32.9% nearby average, ranking 7th of 8.
The school is in rural territory far from an urban area, according to its NCES locale (Rural: Remote).
Enrollment dropped 12% from its 2020-21 level of 656. Its ratio of students to teachers was 16.4:1 in 2020-21, and 15.1:1 in 2024-25.
To ask about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Powell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
13,038
Census ACS
Median income
$40,309
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
14%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
19%
Below federal line
Schools in county
6
2,031 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Powell County
- Clay City Elementary SchoolElementary · 425 students
- Powell County Middle SchoolMiddle · 418 students
- Stanton Elementary SchoolElementary · 322 students
- Bowen Elementary SchoolElementary · 231 students
- Powell County AcademyHigh · 55 students
Other schools in Stanton
- Powell County Middle SchoolMiddle · 418 students
- Stanton Elementary SchoolElementary · 322 students
- Bowen Elementary SchoolElementary · 231 students
- Powell County AcademyHigh · 55 students
Other Powell County High schools
One other US public school is named Powell County High. Powell County High School is the largest of the 2.
- Powell County High SchoolDeer Lodge, MT · 181 students
Nearby schools
- Powell County Middle School0.1 mi · 418
- Stanton Elementary School0.7 mi · 322
- Powell County Academy0.8 mi · 55
- Clay City Elementary School3.1 mi · 425
- Bowen Elementary School5.0 mi · 231
- Estill County Middle School9.9 mi · 423
Frequently asked questions
About Powell County High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Powell County High School?
Powell County High School enrolls approximately 580 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Powell County High School serve?
Powell County High School serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Powell County High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Powell County High School is approximately 15.1:1 (38 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Powell County High School?
Powell County High School reports a student body of 96% White, 2% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Two or more.
What district is Powell County High School in?
Powell County High School is part of Powell County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.