Ballard County Middle School

Q: Is Ballard County Middle School a good school?

Ballard County Middle School ranks 65 th of 324 Kentucky middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ballard County Middle School is a public middle school located in Barlow, Kentucky, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 215 students. The school is part of the Ballard County School District, which is ranked 26th out of 159 districts in Kentucky and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Academically, Ballard County Middle School has shown a mixed performance, with strengths in 7th grade Mathematics, 6th and 7th grade Reading, and 7th grade Science, but underperforming the state average in 6th and 8th grade Mathematics and 8th grade Social Studies. The school has performed well for female students, male students, and low socioeconomic status students, but ranked lower for white students and special education students. With a relatively high per-student spending and a low student-teacher ratio, the school may be facing significant socioeconomic challenges that impact student learning and achievement.

When compared to nearby middle schools, Ballard County Middle School generally performs better than Paducah Middle School, but lags behind the higher-performing Lone Oak Middle School and Heath Middle School, which are part of the McCracken County School District. The school's performance has also fluctuated over the years, suggesting that factors beyond the school's own efforts may be influencing its academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3561 Paducah Rd
Barlow, KY 42024

(270) 665-8400

District: Ballard County

SchoolDigger Rank:
65^th of 324 Kentucky Middle Schools

Students who attend Ballard County Middle School usually attend:

High:

Ballard Memorial High School

Feeder schools for Ballard County Middle School:

Elementary:

Ballard County Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 215

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.2%

Two or more races:

6.5%

African American:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.7%

See top rated Kentucky middle schools

Compare Ballard County Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ballard County Middle School ranks better than 79.9% of middle schools in Kentucky. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.77. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ballard County Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballard County Middle School 65^th of 324 Kentucky public middle schools. (See Ballard County Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Ballard County:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballard County 26^th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ballard County Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile
2007	76.32	52^nd	284	81.7%
2008	77.16	51^st	287	82.2%
2009	76.72	49^th	289	83.0%
2010	69.84	79^th	299	73.6%
2011	68.47	89^th	304	70.7%
2012	68.92	74^th	319	76.8%
2013	61.68	103^rd	335	69.3%
2014	68.01	81^st	335	75.8%
2015	61.84	110^th	337	67.4%
2016	73.00	54^th	331	83.7%
2017	73.68	53^rd	330	83.9%
2018	67.86	79^th	322	75.5%
2019	54.14	145^th	335	56.7%
2021	34.85	177^th	282	37.2%
2022	58.61	103^rd	320	67.8%
2023	62.03	106^th	327	67.6%
2024	72.77	65^th	324	79.9%

See the entire list of Kentucky Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	60.44	100^th	294	66.0%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	70.89	53^rd	285	81.4%
2019	54.43	124^th	303	59.1%
2021	39.60	123^rd	224	45.1%
2022	61.60	82^nd	310	73.5%
2023	56.15	120^th	309	61.2%
2024	72.33	57^th	311	81.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	56.82	114^th	290	60.7%
2019	38.72	205^th	299	31.4%
2021	55.77	72^nd	233	69.1%
2022	60.09	85^th	299	71.6%
2023	62.16	91^st	295	69.2%
2024	69.99	59^th	300	80.3%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	39.94	110^th	219	49.8%
2019	33.08	158^th	226	30.1%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	74.30	50^th	293	82.9%
2019	64.63	85^th	303	71.9%
2021	31.33	149^th	222	32.9%
2022	56.25	104^th	304	65.8%
2023	56.55	120^th	307	60.9%
2024	69.56	73^rd	304	76.0%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Ballard County Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	65.41	75^th	253	70.4%
2019	46.65	142^nd	266	46.6%
2021	27.48	164^th	213	23.0%
2022	50.80	134^th	314	57.3%
2023	53.87	133^rd	320	58.4%
2024	68.64	77^th	316	75.6%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kentucky Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Ballard County Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	201	10	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
1989	227	10	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	239
1990	258	14	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
1991	262	10	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
1992	246	11	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	258
1993	234	8	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	244
1994	209	7	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	216
1995	225	9	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	236
1996	225	9	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	236
1997	229	8	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	237
1998	198	12	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
1999	196	13	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	209
2000	212	12	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	225
2001	220	10	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	233
2002	311	11	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
2003	311	11	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
2004	312	9	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
2005	307	11	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
2006	305	10	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	317
2007	296	11	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	3	310
2008	289	12	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	3	304
2009	299	13	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	4	317
2010	316	14	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	5	337
2011	312	17	1	3	0	0	8	0	341
2012	300	12	1	5	0	0	8	0	326
2013	301	18	0	7	0	0	13	0	339
2014	280	14	0	6	0	0	11	0	311
2015	285	9	1	4	1	0	15	0	315
2016	256	11	1	5	2	0	12	0	287
2017	251	9	2	4	2	0	12	0	280
2018	238	11	1	3	2	0	9	0	264
2019	200	8	1	1	1	0	11	0	222
2020	214	8	1	2	1	0	13	0	239
2021	203	5	0	4	0	0	18	0	230
2022	226	1	0	2	0	0	18	0	247
2023	196	2	1	2	0	0	14	0	215

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ballard County Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	211	13.8	15.2	n/a
1989	239	15.8	15.1	n/a
1990	272	15.0	18.1	n/a
1991	273	15.5	17.6	n/a
1992	258	14.8	17.4	n/a
1993	244	14.6	16.7	n/a
1994	216	15.3	14.1	n/a
1995	236	14.6	16.2	n/a
1996	236	14.6	16.2	n/a
1997	237	14.2	16.7	24.9
1998	211	14.5	14.6	28.4
1999	209	16.0	13.1	65.6
2000	225	14.8	15.2	42.7
2001	233	15.0	15.5	42.2
2002	324	14.2	22.8	52.5
2003	324	14.2	22.8	52.5
2004	323	14.1	22.9	n/a
2005	320	14.8	21.6	n/a
2006	317	15.7	20.2	48.3
2007	310	18.0	17.2	51.8
2008	304	16.7	18.2	51.2
2009	317	17.2	18.4	51.8
2010	337	17.3	19.4	54.8
2011	341	16.6	20.4	52.2
2012	326	15.0	21.7	50.3
2013	339	18.5	18.3	55.8
2014	311	18.0	17.2	55.9
2015	315	18.0	17.5	54
2016	287	17.0	16.8	55.1
2017	280	15.9	17.5	55.7
2018	264	14.7	17.8	61.7
2019	222	11.7	18.8	59
2020	239	13.7	17.3	68.6
2021	230	12.7	18.0	65.2
2022	247	14.7	16.7	60.7
2023	215	15.7	13.6	57.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ballard County Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	211	13.8	15.2	n/a
1989	239	15.8	15.1	n/a
1990	272	15.0	18.1	n/a
1991	273	15.5	17.6	n/a
1992	258	14.8	17.4	n/a
1993	244	14.6	16.7	n/a
1994	216	15.3	14.1	n/a
1995	236	14.6	16.2	n/a
1996	236	14.6	16.2	n/a
1997	237	14.2	16.7	24.9
1998	211	14.5	14.6	28.4
1999	209	16.0	13.1	65.6
2000	225	14.8	15.2	42.7
2001	233	15.0	15.5	42.2
2002	324	14.2	22.8	52.5
2003	324	14.2	22.8	52.5
2004	323	14.1	22.9	n/a
2005	320	14.8	21.6	n/a
2006	317	15.7	20.2	48.3
2007	310	18.0	17.2	51.8
2008	304	16.7	18.2	51.2
2009	317	17.2	18.4	51.8
2010	337	17.3	19.4	54.8
2011	341	16.6	20.4	52.2
2012	326	15.0	21.7	50.3
2013	339	18.5	18.3	55.8
2014	311	18.0	17.2	55.9
2015	315	18.0	17.5	54
2016	287	17.0	16.8	55.1
2017	280	15.9	17.5	55.7
2018	264	14.7	17.8	61.7
2019	222	11.7	18.8	59
2020	239	13.7	17.3	68.6
2021	230	12.7	18.0	65.2
2022	247	14.7	16.7	60.7
2023	215	15.7	13.6	57.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ballard County Middle School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$721 (5.6%)	$80 (0.6%)	$801 (6.2%)	$9,868 (76.0%)	$1,186 (9.1%)	$11,054 (85.2%)	$12,980
2019	$1,002 (7.1%)	$105 (0.7%)	$1,107 (7.8%)	$9,825 (69.5%)	$1,296 (9.2%)	$11,259 (79.6%)	$14,142
2020	$882 (5.4%)	$162 (1.0%)	$1,044 (6.4%)	$10,114 (62.3%)	$1,632 (10.0%)	$11,745 (72.3%)	$16,245
2021	$873 (5.8%)	$465 (3.1%)	$1,338 (8.9%)	$9,508 (63.2%)	$1,251 (8.3%)	$10,760 (71.6%)	$15,035
2022	$1,044 (6.9%)	$286 (1.9%)	$1,330 (8.8%)	$9,581 (63.0%)	$2,024 (13.3%)	$11,606 (76.4%)	$15,199

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ballard County Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 145^th of 335 Middle schools	Ranks 106^th of 327 Middle schools	10.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	222	215	3.2%
African American	8	2	75%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	1	2	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	200	196	2%
Two or More Races	11	14	27.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59%	57.7%	1.3%

Schools Near Ballard County Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KSA Mathematics (2024)			KSA Reading (2024)			KSA Science (2024)	KSA Writing (2024)	KSA Social Studies (2024)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Ballard County Middle School	Public	6-8	3561 Paducah Rd	Barlow	42024	Ballard County	Ballard County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 665-8400	215	16	13.6	57.7%	196 (91.2%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.5%)	72.8	65^th of 324 public middle schools	79.9%		62	106^th of 327 public middle schools	67.6%	41	39.0	62.0	34.0	62.0	70.0	54.0	43.0	59.0	39.0	61.0	$15,199	$1,044	$286	$1,330	$9,581	$2,024	$11,606
Heath Middle School	Public	6-8	4336 Metropolis Lake Rd	West Paducah	42086	McCracken County	McCracken County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 538-4070	410	27	15.0	48.0%	345 (84.1%)	21 (5.1%)	14 (3.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.9%)	75.8	54^th of 324 public middle schools	83.3%		80.7	43^rd of 327 public middle schools	86.9%	11	59.0	50.0	49.0	70.0	57.0	53.0	32.0	67.0	30.0	77.0	$17,271	$1,150	$543	$1,799	$12,028	$3,367	$15,395
Carlisle County Middle School	Public	6-8	4557 State Rt 1377	Bardwell	42023	Carlisle County	Carlisle County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 628-3800	146	12	12.6	58.2%	130 (89.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)	73.4	60^th of 324 public middle schools	81.5%		73.7	62^nd of 327 public middle schools	81.0%	2	69.0	67.0	49.0	63.0	53.0	41.0		61.0	34.0	63.0	$15,457	$1,053	$630	$1,683	$9,166	$2,608	$11,775
Lone Oak Middle School	Public	6-8	225 John E. Robinson Ave	Paducah	42001	McCracken County	McCracken County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 538-4130	796	52	15.4	46.9%	653 (82.0%)	52 (6.5%)	51 (6.4%)	12 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.4%)	87.3	21^st of 324 public middle schools	93.5%		75.4	59^th of 327 public middle schools	82.0%	38	53.0	51.0	61.0	68.0	69.0	65.0	33.0	72.0	61.0	72.0	$25,531	$1,017	$527	$1,518	$9,862	$2,461	$12,323
Paducah Middle School	Public	6-8	342 Lone Oak Rd	Paducah	42001	McCracken County	Paducah Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 444-5710	652	41	16.0	69.2%	256 (39.3%)	255 (39.1%)	44 (6.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	92 (14.1%)	36.3	208^th of 324 public middle schools	35.8%		35.8	212^th of 327 public middle schools	35.2%	4	32.0	30.0	38.0	46.0	41.0	38.0	20.0	39.0	34.0	50.0	$28,579	$1,568	$1,583	$3,202	$18,556	$4,372	$23,335

Ballard County Middle School

Ballard County Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Ballard County:

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Rank History for Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for all students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Ballard County Middle School

Rank History for White students at Ballard County Middle School

Enrollment information for Ballard County Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ballard County Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ballard County Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ballard County Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ballard County Middle School

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Ballard County Middle School

Ballard County Middle School

Heath Middle School

Carlisle County Middle School

Lone Oak Middle School

Paducah Middle School

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