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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at West Carter County High School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
506
High
DISTRICT 592 · STATE 558
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CARTER COUNTY·NCES 210102000202
West Carter County High School
365 West Carter Dr, Olive Hill, KY 41164 · (606) 286-2481 · Carter County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL506 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 39% of Kentucky public high schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C+Beats 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
17.9:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.3:1 · STATE 16.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
62%
314 students
DISTRICT 66% · 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 | 120 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 125 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 143 | 28% |
| Grade 12 | 118 | 23% |
Student demographics
6%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 8% · 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
Test scores
KSA (K-PREP) 2024-25 . % Proficient/DistinguishedEnglish Language Arts
52.0%
KY avg 47.9%
Math
28.0%
KY avg 42.8%
What this means: On the KSA (K-PREP), Kentucky's statewide test, about 52 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 28 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
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
34.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
42.0%
based on KY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-7.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 35% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 42% typical for Kentucky schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Kentucky's top nor bottom 10%.
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 West Carter County High School
West Carter County High School's state test result (34.5% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Carter County High School this school | 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% |
| Morgan County High School West Liberty | 527 | 63.0% | 33.5% |
| Powell County High School Stanton | 580 | 61.6% | 25.5% |
| Estill County High School Irvine | 643 | 62.4% | 33.3% |
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 West Carter County High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 34.5% | #136 of 211 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 28.0% | #175 of 211 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 52.0% | #71 of 211 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 506 | #166 of 304 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.9:1 | #149 of 217 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 5.8% | #207 of 217 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 62.1% | #86 of 230 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -9.3% | #61 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
506
-22 (-4%) vs 2020
+6% since 1990-91, when it was 479
Student : Teacher
17.9:1
was 17.0:1
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 | 506 | 28.3 | 17.9:1 | 62% (314) |
| 2023-24 | 510 | 29.1 | 17.5:1 | 61% (309) |
| 2022-23 | 522 | 32 | 16.3:1 | 59% (310) |
| 2020-21 | 528 | 31 | 17.0:1 | 60% (319) |
| 2017-18 | 558 | 31.6 | 17.6:1 | 67% (372) |
| 2015-16 | 605 | 35 | 17.3:1 | 70% (421) |
| 2010-11 | 582 | 40 | 14.6:1 | 65% (376) |
| 2000-01 | 532 | 39 | 13.6:1 | 56% (300) |
| 1990-91 | 479 | 29 | 16.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Carter County High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 9% (558 to 506); teachers down 11% (31.6 to 28.3).
About West Carter County High School
West Carter County High School is a high school in Olive Hill, Kentucky, reachable at (606) 286-2481. School enrollment was 506 students in 2024-25, in grades 9 through 12.
Within Carter County, West Carter County High School is one of 11 schools. The district enrolls 3,980 students.
West Carter County High School's enrollment is 97% White. For comparison, Carter County is about 95% White. Pick two students at random and there is a 6% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Teachers at West Carter County High School total 28.3 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 17.9:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 16.6:1 average for high schools in Kentucky. The school counts 314 students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or 62%. For comparison, public schools in Carter County average 65%.
West Carter County High School is graded C+ by allk12, scoring above 39% of Kentucky public high schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
The school's average proficiency rate on state tests is 34.5%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 42.0%.
In Carter County (population about 26,341), the median household income is $51,235, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 16% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 16%. There are 12 public schools in Carter County, enrolling about 3,980 students in all.
Nearby, Carter Virtual Academy is less than a tenth of a mile away. There are 3 more public schools inside five miles. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts West Carter County High School at 7th of 7.
For locale, NCES codes West Carter County High School as Rural: Distant.
The school enrolled 506 students in 2024-25, 22 fewer than the 528 it had in 2020-21.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss school safety, transportation, and start times at West Carter County High School. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Carter County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
26,341
Census ACS
Median income
$51,235
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
16%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
16%
Below federal line
Schools in county
12
3,980 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Carter County
- East Carter County High SchoolHigh · 678 students
- Prichard Elementary SchoolElementary · 612 students
- East Carter Middle SchoolMiddle · 490 students
- West Carter Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- Olive Hill Elementary SchoolElementary · 360 students
- Heritage Elementary SchoolElementary · 336 students
Other schools in Olive Hill
- West Carter Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- Olive Hill Elementary SchoolElementary · 360 students
- Tygart Creek Elementary SchoolElementary · 318 students
- Carter Virtual AcademyCombined · 47 students
- Carter County Career and Technical CenterHigh
Nearby schools
- Carter Virtual Academy0.1 mi · 47
- West Carter Middle School0.1 mi · 392
- Olive Hill Elementary School0.6 mi · 360
- Tygart Creek Elementary School5.8 mi · 318
- Carter City Elementary School8.3 mi · 117
- Laurel Elementary School11.1 mi · 70
Frequently asked questions
About West Carter County High SchoolHow large is West Carter County High School?
West Carter County High School enrolls approximately 506 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does West Carter County High School serve?
West Carter County High School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Carter County High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at West Carter County High School is approximately 17.9:1 (28 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at West Carter County High School?
Student demographics at West Carter County High School are roughly 97% White, 1% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees West Carter County High School?
West Carter County High School is overseen by Carter County in Carter County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.