Semple Elementary

Semple Elementary is a reasonably sized elementary campus in Louisville, Kentucky, run under Jefferson County. The school teaches 592 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 421 students per school, that is 41% above typical.

Across the 167 schools in Jefferson County (95,124 students total), Semple Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Semple Elementary lists that 43% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school shows 29% Hispanic, 17% White, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Jefferson County as a whole is about 21% Black, so the school skews visibly more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Semple Elementary has 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.4:1, putting Semple Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 77% of students at Semple Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Jefferson County (around 61%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Semple Elementary is in the bottom 10% of Kentucky public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 36.6%; Semple Elementary posts 18.7%, -17.9 points below that line.

Across the wider county, Jefferson County reports that median household earnings sit near $69,866, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Semple Elementary is one of 175 public schools in Jefferson County (combined enrollment of about 95,579 students).

The closest other public school is Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North, roughly 0.6 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Semple Elementary at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 14.3%.

Geographically, the school is in an urban area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Semple Elementary has held roughly steady, going from 597 students in 2018 to 592 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment ticked up from 11% to 29% over that span.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.