Cowan Elementary School

Summary:

Cowan Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Whitesburg, Kentucky, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 254 students. The school is part of the Letcher County School District, which is ranked 121 out of 159 districts in Kentucky and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cowan Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the state and county averages in various subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in mathematics and reading were significantly lower than the state and county averages across multiple grade levels. Additionally, the school has a low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom half of Kentucky elementary schools in recent years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance on student subgroups, such as female, male, white, and low socioeconomic status students, is also below the state averages.

When comparing Cowan Elementary School to other nearby schools in the Letcher County district, such as Letcher Elementary & Middle School and Martha Jane Potter Elementary School, Cowan Elementary School generally performs worse academically. These nearby schools also have higher statewide rankings and better student subgroup performance. The high poverty rate at Cowan Elementary School, ranging from 64.17% in 2022-2023 to 77.35% in 2020-2021, may be a significant factor contributing to the school's academic challenges.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 3125 Hwy 931 S
       Whitesburg, KY  41858


(606) 633-7195

District: Letcher County

SchoolDigger Rank:
605th of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools


Students who attend Cowan Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Letcher County Central High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.6 Help
Number of students:  254

Racial breakdown:

White:
95.7%
Two or more races:
3.1%
African American:
0.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64.2% Help


 See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

 Compare Cowan Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cowan Elementary School ranks worse than 88.3% of elementary schools in Kentucky. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.76. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details Cowan Elementary School ranks worse than 65.7% of middle schools in Kentucky. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.42. (See more...)
Help
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.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cowan Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cowan Elementary School 605th of 685 Kentucky public elementary schools. (See Cowan Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Cowan Elementary School 213th of 324 Kentucky public middle schools. (See Cowan Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Letcher County:

SchoolDigger ranks Letcher County 121st of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Cowan Elementary School?

Rank History for Cowan Elementary School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all elementary school students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 22.99 528th 638 17.2%
2008 30.33 493rd 651 24.3%
2009 45.52 390th 658 40.7%
2010 47.90 393rd 683 42.5%
2011 19.78 600th 688 12.8%
2012 32.51 527th 713 26.1%
2013 45.35 415th 719 42.3%
2014 41.27 444th 705 37.0%
2015 33.92 513th 698 26.5%
2016 36.49 488th 690 29.3%
2017 33.66 508th 694 26.8%
2018 35.29 493rd 691 28.7%
2019 27.28 573rd 700 18.1%
2022 47.24 342nd 684 50.0%
2023 34.53 458th 687 33.3%
2024 14.76 605th 685 11.7%
See the entire list of Kentucky Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 28.73 525th 661 20.6%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.34 387th 631 38.7%
2019 23.10 566th 664 14.8%
2022 39.39 409th 667 38.7%
2023 34.87 440th 670 34.3%
2024 21.52 555th 665 16.5%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 45.74 377th 663 43.1%
2019 27.01 559th 671 16.7%
2022 42.97 359th 641 44.0%
2023 36.28 422nd 639 34.0%
2024 13.69 587th 644 8.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.07 194th 445 56.4%
2019 35.68 281st 474 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.99 517th 665 22.3%
2019 30.05 533rd 676 21.2%
2022 45.61 352nd 657 46.4%
2023 29.45 473rd 652 27.5%
2024 13.83 593rd 652 9.0%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.61 568th 593 4.2%
2022 39.63 390th 656 40.5%
2023 27.97 496th 658 24.6%
2024 11.80 626th 659 5.0%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Cowan Elementary School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 43.75 157th 284 44.7%
2008 39.74 180th 287 37.3%
2009 47.31 161st 289 44.3%
2010 50.67 158th 299 47.2%
2011 34.31 221st 304 27.3%
2012 42.92 190th 319 40.4%
2013 45.09 202nd 335 39.7%
2014 65.99 87th 335 74.0%
2015 62.38 107th 337 68.2%
2016 60.91 120th 331 63.7%
2017 45.03 189th 330 42.7%
2018 36.67 226th 322 29.8%
2019 44.09 192nd 335 42.7%
2021 56.26 90th 282 68.1%
2022 52.83 131st 320 59.1%
2023 58.75 120th 327 63.3%
2024 35.42 213th 324 34.3%
See the entire list of Kentucky Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 60.68 98th 294 66.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.63 198th 285 30.5%
2022 68.79 63rd 310 79.7%
2023 61.90 93rd 309 69.9%
2024 42.56 172nd 311 44.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.20 176th 290 39.3%
2019 57.30 112th 299 62.5%
2023 42.40 169th 295 42.7%
2024 23.97 241st 300 19.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.61 137th 219 37.4%
2019 36.29 136th 226 39.8%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.89 235th 293 19.8%
2019 29.10 236th 303 22.1%
2022 70.33 63rd 304 79.3%
2023 64.63 81st 307 73.6%
2024 58.06 107th 304 64.8%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Cowan Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.06 202nd 253 20.2%
2019 35.72 180th 266 32.3%
2022 42.66 171st 314 45.5%
2023 50.81 147th 320 54.1%
2024 25.69 244th 316 22.8%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky Elementary 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.

Cowan Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Cowan Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Cowan Elementary School, submit a rating!


Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Cowan Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 434 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 434
1989 436 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 436
1990 442 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 442
1991 439 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 439
1992 443 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 443
1993 407 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 407
1994 384 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 384
1995 372 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 372
1996 372 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 372
1997 379 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 379
1998 360 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 3 363
1999 327 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 3 330
2000 321 0 0 0 2 n/a n/a 3 326
2001 321 0 2 0 0 n/a n/a 4 327
2002 328 0 4 0 2 n/a n/a 0 334
2003 328 0 4 0 2 n/a n/a 0 334
2004 347 0 3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 352
2005 321 1 1 0 1 n/a n/a 0 324
2006 323 1 2 0 1 n/a n/a 0 327
2007 338 1 0 1 1 n/a n/a 1 342
2008 413 2 0 2 1 n/a n/a 1 419
2009 432 1 0 0 1 n/a n/a 7 441
2010 419 1 0 0 1 n/a n/a 7 428
2011 448 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 451
2012 439 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 444
2013 434 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 438
2014 407 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 412
2015 409 2 0 2 1 0 5 0 419
2016 382 1 0 3 1 0 7 0 394
2017 347 1 0 3 1 0 6 0 358
2018 338 1 0 3 1 0 4 0 347
2019 313 1 0 2 1 0 5 0 322
2020 283 2 0 2 1 0 5 0 293
2021 275 2 2 2 1 0 5 0 287
2022 217 1 2 2 0 0 6 0 228
2023 243 1 1 1 0 0 8 0 254

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 Cowan Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 434 20.4 21.2 n/a
1989 436 20.2 21.5 n/a
1990 442 20.4 21.6 n/a
1991 439 24.6 17.8 n/a
1992 443 21.8 20.3 n/a
1993 407 24.6 16.5 n/a
1994 384 24.2 15.9 n/a
1995 372 23.2 16.0 n/a
1996 372 23.2 16.0 n/a
1997 379 22.3 17.0 50.7
1998 363 23.1 15.7 49.7
1999 330 19.4 17.0 63.6
2000 326 14.4 22.6 67.8
2001 327 16.9 19.3 73.1
2002 334 20.1 16.6 99.1
2003 334 20.1 16.6 99.1
2004 352 20.1 17.5 n/a
2005 324 20.6 15.7 n/a
2006 327 19.4 16.9 66.1
2007 342 19.0 18.0 65.7
2008 419 25.0 16.8 64.8
2009 441 27.0 16.3 58.1
2010 428 21.0 20.3 69.8
2011 451 27.8 16.1 67.4
2012 444 26.1 17.0 66.7
2013 438 27.8 15.7 68.5
2014 412 29.1 14.1 64.8
2015 419 29.0 14.4 49.6
2016 394 28.0 14.0 76.1
2017 358 27.0 13.2 70.9
2018 347 26.1 13.2 74.6
2019 322 22.1 14.5 74.5
2020 293 21.9 13.3 72
2021 287 21.9 13.1 77.4
2022 228 21.1 10.8 74.1
2023 254 18.6 13.6 64.2

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 Cowan Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 434 20.4 21.2 n/a
1989 436 20.2 21.5 n/a
1990 442 20.4 21.6 n/a
1991 439 24.6 17.8 n/a
1992 443 21.8 20.3 n/a
1993 407 24.6 16.5 n/a
1994 384 24.2 15.9 n/a
1995 372 23.2 16.0 n/a
1996 372 23.2 16.0 n/a
1997 379 22.3 17.0 50.7
1998 363 23.1 15.7 49.7
1999 330 19.4 17.0 63.6
2000 326 14.4 22.6 67.8
2001 327 16.9 19.3 73.1
2002 334 20.1 16.6 99.1
2003 334 20.1 16.6 99.1
2004 352 20.1 17.5 n/a
2005 324 20.6 15.7 n/a
2006 327 19.4 16.9 66.1
2007 342 19.0 18.0 65.7
2008 419 25.0 16.8 64.8
2009 441 27.0 16.3 58.1
2010 428 21.0 20.3 69.8
2011 451 27.8 16.1 67.4
2012 444 26.1 17.0 66.7
2013 438 27.8 15.7 68.5
2014 412 29.1 14.1 64.8
2015 419 29.0 14.4 49.6
2016 394 28.0 14.0 76.1
2017 358 27.0 13.2 70.9
2018 347 26.1 13.2 74.6
2019 322 22.1 14.5 74.5
2020 293 21.9 13.3 72
2021 287 21.9 13.1 77.4
2022 228 21.1 10.8 74.1
2023 254 18.6 13.6 64.2

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 Cowan Elementary School

Help

YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $961 (7.6%) $82 (0.7%) $1,044 (8.3%) $9,730 (77.1%) $2,188 (17.3%) $11,206 (88.8%) $12,614
2019 $1,062 (9.9%) $91 (0.8%) $1,153 (10.7%) $9,806 (91.0%) $1,776 (16.5%) $10,770 (100.0%) $10,770
2020 $1,011 (8.6%) $112 (1.0%) $1,123 (9.5%) $9,083 (77.2%) $1,951 (16.6%) $11,034 (93.8%) $11,769
2021 $1,121 (9.3%) $625 (5.2%) $1,743 (14.4%) $7,632 (63.1%) $2,259 (18.7%) $10,589 (87.5%) $12,097
2022 $1,874 (11.4%) $1,171 (7.1%) $3,045 (18.6%) $10,652 (65.0%) $2,400 (14.6%) $12,303 (75.1%) $16,387

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cowan Elementary 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 573rd of 700 Elementary schoolsRanks 458th of 687 Elementary schools
 15.2%
Ranks 192nd of 335 Middle schoolsRanks 120th of 327 Middle schools
 20.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students322254
 21.1%
African American11
American Indian10
 100%
Asian01
Hispanic21
 50%
Pacific Islander00
White313243
 22.4%
Two or More Races58
 60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients74.5%64.2%
 10.4%


Schools Near Cowan Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Cowan Elementary School

Students who attend Cowan Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Letcher County Central High School

Students at Cowan Elementary School are 96% White, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 254 students attended Cowan Elementary School.

Cowan Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.7% of Kentucky elementary schools.


Rate Cowan Elementary School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Cowan Elementary School!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 45 milliseconds.