William Wells Brown Elementary

Q: Is William Wells Brown Elementary a good school?

William Wells Brown Elementary ranks 449 th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

William Wells Brown Elementary is a public elementary school in Lexington, Kentucky, serving 308 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Fayette County School District, which is ranked 77 out of 159 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past decade, William Wells Brown Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky elementary schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period. The school significantly underperforms compared to the district and state averages on standardized tests, particularly in 5th-grade mathematics and reading, where proficiency rates are less than half the district and state levels. However, the school's performance for African American students is significantly better than the overall student population, suggesting the school may be doing a relatively good job in supporting this subgroup.

The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at William Wells Brown Elementary, ranging from 86% to 94%, is significantly higher than nearby schools like Cassidy Elementary and Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary, which have much lower rates of economic disadvantage. This suggests the school's student population faces significant economic challenges that may be impacting their academic performance, highlighting the importance of addressing socioeconomic factors and providing additional resources and support to schools serving economically disadvantaged communities.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

555 E 5th St
Lexington, KY 40508

(859) 381-4990

District: Fayette County

SchoolDigger Rank:
449^th of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $28,327

Students who attend William Wells Brown Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lexington Trad Magnet School
High:	Frederick Douglass High School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.9

Number of students: 303

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.0%

Hispanic:

16.5%

Two or more races:

11.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details William Wells Brown Elementary ranks worse than 65.5% of elementary schools in Kentucky. It also ranks 22^nd among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Fayette County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.31. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (64%), Hispanic (16.5%), two or more races (11.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Fayette County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William Wells Brown Elementary is 9.9, which is the 7^th best among 38 elementary schools in the Fayette County School District. (See more...)

Compare William Wells Brown Elementary employs 30.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William Wells Brown Elementary is $28,327, which is the 2^nd highest among 38 elementary schools in the Fayette County School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

William Wells Brown Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks William Wells Brown Elementary 449^th of 685 Kentucky public elementary schools. (See William Wells Brown Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Fayette County:

SchoolDigger ranks Fayette County 77^th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for William Wells Brown Elementary

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Rank History for all students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile
2010	5.38	651^st	683	4.7%
2011	6.66	655^th	688	4.8%
2012	13.74	675^th	713	5.3%
2013	5.30	708^th	719	1.5%
2014	2.88	697^th	705	1.1%
2015	6.91	682^nd	698	2.3%
2016	8.87	668^th	690	3.2%
2017	8.59	665^th	694	4.2%
2018	6.84	674^th	691	2.5%
2019	6.66	673^rd	700	3.9%
2022	6.11	665^th	684	2.8%
2023	20.71	565^th	687	17.8%
2024	36.31	449^th	685	34.5%

See the entire list of Kentucky Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	5.44	644^th	661	2.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile
2022	8.56	651^st	667	2.4%
2023	30.65	488^th	670	27.2%
2024	42.07	388^th	665	41.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	8.64	645^th	663	2.7%
2019	5.35	659^th	671	1.8%
2022	7.16	624^th	641	2.7%
2023	20.61	546^th	639	14.6%
2024	45.32	343^rd	644	46.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	18.19	436^th	474	8.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	6.43	652^nd	665	2.0%
2019	10.01	636^th	676	5.9%
2023	30.10	466^th	652	28.5%
2024	27.08	495^th	652	24.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	29.02	147^th	184	20.1%
2019	27.75	145^th	185	21.6%
2022	22.14	101^st	118	14.4%
2023	63.64	29^th	129	77.5%
2024	69.64	27^th	140	80.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at William Wells Brown Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	33.46	122^nd	153	20.3%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 William Wells Brown Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	70	236	1	33	0	n/a	n/a	16	356
2010	73	259	0	38	0	n/a	n/a	18	388
2011	61	267	1	41	0	0	22	0	392
2012	52	241	0	50	0	0	19	0	362
2013	64	261	0	49	0	0	19	0	393
2014	64	281	0	50	0	0	18	0	413
2015	66	290	0	50	0	0	24	0	430
2016	61	251	0	55	0	0	21	0	388
2017	59	239	0	41	0	0	24	0	363
2018	39	245	0	37	0	0	24	0	345
2019	30	231	0	36	0	0	24	0	321
2020	25	213	1	42	0	0	16	0	297
2021	19	173	1	39	0	0	21	0	253
2022	22	169	3	43	0	0	28	0	265
2023	33	202	0	43	0	0	30	0	308
2024	23	194	0	50	1	0	35	0	303

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 William Wells Brown Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	356	42.0	8.5	97.4
2010	388	32.4	11.9	101.6
2011	392	33.1	11.8	96.4
2012	362	34.0	10.6	80.1
2013	393	34.5	11.3	90.3
2014	413	33.7	12.2	87.7
2015	430	34.0	12.6	89.1
2016	388	36.0	10.7	89.7
2017	363	29.7	12.1	91.7
2018	345	30.8	11.2	92.2
2019	321	26.7	12.0	84.4
2020	297	28.7	10.3	88.2
2021	253	29.0	8.7	94.5
2022	265	32.4	8.1	86.4
2023	308	31.1	9.9	86
2024	303	30.6	9.9	86.1

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 William Wells Brown Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	356	42.0	8.5	97.4
2010	388	32.4	11.9	101.6
2011	392	33.1	11.8	96.4
2012	362	34.0	10.6	80.1
2013	393	34.5	11.3	90.3
2014	413	33.7	12.2	87.7
2015	430	34.0	12.6	89.1
2016	388	36.0	10.7	89.7
2017	363	29.7	12.1	91.7
2018	345	30.8	11.2	92.2
2019	321	26.7	12.0	84.4
2020	297	28.7	10.3	88.2
2021	253	29.0	8.7	94.5
2022	265	32.4	8.1	86.4
2023	308	31.1	9.9	86
2024	303	30.6	9.9	86.1

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 William Wells Brown Elementary

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	$1,681 (8.5%)	$205 (1.0%)	$1,886 (9.5%)	$14,253 (71.8%)	$2,041 (10.3%)	$16,294 (82.1%)	$19,842
2019	$1,598 (8.6%)	$218 (1.2%)	$1,814 (9.8%)	$13,281 (71.8%)	$1,822 (9.8%)	$15,103 (81.6%)	$18,509
2020	$1,607 (6.8%)	$481 (2.0%)	$2,087 (8.9%)	$17,151 (73.0%)	$1,934 (8.2%)	$19,085 (81.3%)	$23,487
2021	$1,879 (7.1%)	$1,098 (4.1%)	$2,976 (11.2%)	$19,435 (73.3%)	$1,620 (6.1%)	$20,914 (78.9%)	$26,517
2022	$2,326 (8.2%)	$1,340 (4.7%)	$3,665 (12.9%)	$19,889 (70.2%)	$2,569 (9.1%)	$22,459 (79.3%)	$28,327

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William Wells Brown Elementary

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 673^rd of 700 Elementary schools	Ranks 565^th of 687 Elementary schools	13.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	321	308	4%
African American	231	202	12.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	36	43	19.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	30	33	10%
Two or More Races	24	30	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.4%	86%	1.6%

Schools Near William Wells Brown Elementary

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 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Science 4th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th 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
William Wells Brown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	555 E 5th St	Lexington	40508	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-4990	303	31	9.9	86.1%	23 (7.6%)	194 (64.0%)	50 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (11.6%)	36.3	449^th of 685 public elementary schools	34.5%		20.7	565^th of 687 public elementary schools	17.8%	116		49.0	29.0	26.0	57.0	36.0	40.0		24.0	38.0	$28,327	$2,326	$1,340	$3,665	$19,889	$2,569	$22,459
Ashland Elementary School	Public	K-5	195 N Ashland Ave	Lexington	40502	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-3243	281	28	9.9	40.9%	165 (58.7%)	58 (20.6%)	27 (9.6%)	11 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.1%)	85.7	59^th of 685 public elementary schools	91.4%		86.7	55^th of 687 public elementary schools	92.0%	4	58.0	60.0	70.0	60.0	68.0	71.0	66.0	44.0	68.0	67.0	$23,143	$1,671	$502	$2,225	$16,453	$2,328	$18,730
George Washington Carver STEM Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	123 E Sixth St	Lexington	40508	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	Yes	No	No	(859) 381-4670	133	17	7.6	73.7%	6 (4.5%)	102 (76.7%)	3 (2.3%)	5 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (12.8%)	42.7	395^th of 685 public elementary schools	42.3%					(n/a)	38.0	41.0		41.0	52.0
Homebound Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	701 E Main St	Lexington	40502	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	No	(859) 381-4100	3	13	.2		3 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Arlington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	122 Arceme Avenue	Lexington	40505	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-3030	301	29	10.5	84.4%	74 (24.6%)	64 (21.3%)	140 (46.5%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.3%)	11.2	624^th of 685 public elementary schools	8.9%		9.8	646^th of 687 public elementary schools	6.0%	22	12.0	10.0		23.0	16.0			41.0	9.0		$23,608	$2,179	$583	$2,761	$16,500	$2,298	$18,799
Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	301 Woodland Ave	Lexington	40508	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	Yes	No	No	(859) 381-3516	560	37	15.0	30.5%	299 (53.4%)	74 (13.2%)	118 (21.1%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (10.7%)	88.5	42^nd of 685 public elementary schools	93.9%		81.2	81^st of 687 public elementary schools	88.2%	39	60.0	71.0	57.0	67.0	81.0	63.0	64.0	63.0	54.0	67.0	$17,453	$1,009	$396	$1,405	$12,002	$2,162	$14,164
Harrison Elementary School	Public	K-5	161 Bruce St	Lexington	40507	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-3418	198	24	8.2	83.8%	33 (16.7%)	101 (51.0%)	46 (23.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.6%)								(n/a)				29.0	17.0						$30,699	$2,049	$881	$2,930	$22,946	$2,591	$25,537
Yates Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	695 E New Circle Rd	Lexington	40505	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-3613	402	33	12.3	71.1%	111 (27.6%)	121 (30.1%)	110 (27.4%)	10 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	46 (11.4%)	22.1	558^th of 685 public elementary schools	18.5%		21.9	554^th of 687 public elementary schools	19.4%	4			38.0	27.0	31.0	40.0		29.0	29.0	19.0	$21,150	$1,512	$581	$2,093	$14,664	$2,297	$16,961
Northern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	340 Rookwood Pkwy	Lexington	40505	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 381-3541	419	36	11.5	71.6%	89 (21.2%)	125 (29.8%)	181 (43.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.3%)	11	627^th of 685 public elementary schools	8.5%		21.3	560^th of 687 public elementary schools	18.5%	67	28.0	18.0	20.0	29.0	32.0	26.0		21.0	15.0	23.0	$20,886	$1,968	$579	$2,556	$13,982	$2,296	$16,269
Cassidy Elementary School	Public	K-5	1125 Tates Creek Road	Lexington	40502	Fayette County	Fayette County	No	No	No	No	(859) 381-3018	645	45	14.2	29.8%	453 (70.2%)	72 (11.2%)	58 (9.0%)	22 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.2%)	94.7	9^th of 685 public elementary schools	98.7%		93.1	20^th of 687 public elementary schools	97.1%	11	78.0	70.0	75.0	75.0	71.0	77.0	50.0	81.0	73.0	76.0	$17,856	$1,410	$373	$1,783	$12,014	$2,175	$14,189

Frequently Asked Questions about William Wells Brown Elementary

What schools do graduates of William Wells Brown Elementary attend?

Students who attend William Wells Brown Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lexington Trad Magnet School
High : Frederick Douglass High School

What district is William Wells Brown Elementary in?

Fayette County

What is the racial makeup of William Wells Brown Elementary?

Students at William Wells Brown Elementary are 64% African American, 17% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 8% White.

How many students attend William Wells Brown Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 303 students attended William Wells Brown Elementary.

Is William Wells Brown Elementary a good school?

William Wells Brown Elementary ranks 449^th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate William Wells Brown Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.