1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at White's Tower Elementary School right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
675
Elementary
DISTRICT 645 · STATE 421
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·KENTON COUNTY·NCES 210309000824
White's Tower Elementary School
2977 Harris Pk, Independence, KY 41051 · (859) 356-9668 · Kenton County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL675 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.1:1
42 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.2:1 · STATE 15.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
42%
286 students
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 63%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 37 | 5% |
| Kindergarten | 94 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 103 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 106 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 110 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 111 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 114 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (94) is 18% smaller than its 5th grade class (114).
Student demographics
24%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · 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
54.3%
KY avg 47.9%
Math
54.3%
KY avg 42.8%
What this means: On the KSA (K-PREP), Kentucky's statewide test, about 54 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 54 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
49.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.3%
based on KY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% 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 White's Tower Elementary School
White's Tower Elementary School's state test result (49.5% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| White's Tower Elementary School this school | 675 | 42.4% | 49.5% |
| Campbell Ridge Elementary Alexandria | 661 | 42.7% | 57.2% |
| Lincoln Trail Elementary School Elizabethtown | 653 | 40.6% | 55.3% |
| Barry Hahn Primary School Brandenburg | 807 | 42.1% | 61.5% |
| Woodlawn Elementary School Danville | 657 | 39.4% | 72.3% |
| Kenton Elementary School Independence | 650 | 38.5% | 57.6% |
Matched among Kentucky elementary 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 White's Tower Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Kentucky | In Kenton County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 49.5% | #242 of 669 | #12 of 22 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 54.3% | #176 of 668 | #8 of 22 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 54.3% | #256 of 674 | #12 of 22 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 675 | #52 of 744 | #4 of 24 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.1:1 | #508 of 674 | #18 of 23 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 23.7% | #412 of 674 | #21 of 23 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 42.4% | #650 of 721 | #18 of 23 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +16.4% | #61 of 233 | #1 of 7 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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
675
+44 (+7%) vs 2020
+53% since 1990-91, when it was 441
Student : Teacher
16.1:1
was 15.0:1
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 | 675 | 42 | 16.1:1 | 42% (286) |
| 2023-24 | 698 | 39.8 | 17.5:1 | 45% (315) |
| 2022-23 | 631 | 39.8 | 15.8:1 | 41% (259) |
| 2020-21 | 631 | 42 | 15.0:1 | 45% (285) |
| 2017-18 | 580 | 34 | 17.1:1 | 48% (277) |
| 2015-16 | 558 | 31 | 18.0:1 | 52% (288) |
| 2010-11 | 539 | 31 | 17.4:1 | 46% (249) |
| 2000-01 | 400 | 17 | 23.5:1 | 31% (124) |
| 1990-91 | 441 | 22 | 20.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for White's Tower Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 16% (580 to 675); teachers up 24% (34 to 42).
About White's Tower Elementary School
White's Tower Elementary School is one of the public schools in Independence, Kentucky. It is a high-enrollment elementary school. The school enrolls 675 students, from pre-K through 5. An average school in this group (elementary schools in Kentucky) has about 421 students.
White's Tower Elementary School is one school in Kenton County, a system of 18 schools with 13,834 students.
Most students at White's Tower Elementary School are White: 87% of enrollment. Other groups make up 8% multiracial, 2% Hispanic, and 2% Black. County-wide, about 86% of residents are White. White's Tower Elementary School has a diversity index of 24%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Federal records show a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.1:1 at White's Tower Elementary School, with 42 full-time-equivalent teachers. Across elementary schools in Kentucky, the average ratio is about 15.4:1. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, a common measure of family income, is 42%. For comparison, public schools in Kenton County average 54%.
Schools in Kentucky with a similar free or reduced-price lunch share are predicted to score about 49.3%. White's Tower Elementary School scores 49.5%.
Within Kenton County, median household income is about $80,548, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 37% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 8%. Federal data list 46 public schools in Kenton County, with a combined enrollment of about 22,225.
Nearby, Twenhofel Middle School is about 0.7 miles away. White's Tower Elementary School is one of several public schools in the area, with 6 others within five miles. White's Tower Elementary School's average proficiency of 49.5% compares with 52.1% for its nearest scored neighbors.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Fringe: in rural territory close to an urban area.
Enrollment was 631 in 2020-21 and 675 in 2024-25, a increase of 44 students. Federal data show the ratio rising from 15.0:1 to 16.1:1.
Questions about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week can be posted here. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Kenton County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
171,288
Census ACS
Median income
$80,548
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
46
22,225 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Kenton County
- Simon Kenton High SchoolHigh · 1,893 students
- Dixie Heights High SchoolHigh · 1,499 students
- Summit View AcademyElementary · 1,324 students
- Scott High SchoolHigh · 1,017 students
- Turkey Foot Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,006 students
- River Ridge Elementary SchoolElementary · 889 students
Other schools in Independence
- Simon Kenton High SchoolHigh · 1,893 students
- Summit View AcademyElementary · 1,324 students
- Twenhofel Middle SchoolMiddle · 775 students
- Kenton Elementary SchoolElementary · 650 students
- Beechgrove Elementary SchoolElementary · 645 students
Nearby schools
- Twenhofel Middle School0.7 mi · 775
- Kenton Elementary School1.3 mi · 650
- Simon Kenton High School1.4 mi · 1,893
- Summit View Academy2.8 mi · 1,324
- Ryland Heights Elementary School3.4 mi · 443
- Taylor Mill Elementary School4.0 mi · 508
Frequently asked questions
About White's Tower Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at White's Tower Elementary School?
White's Tower Elementary School enrolls approximately 675 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does White's Tower Elementary School serve?
White's Tower Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at White's Tower Elementary School?
Approximately 16.1:1 students per teacher at White's Tower Elementary School.
How diverse is White's Tower Elementary School?
White's Tower Elementary School reports a student body of 87% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Black, 0% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Who oversees White's Tower Elementary School?
White's Tower Elementary School is overseen by Kenton County in Kenton County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.