Is Powell County High School a good school?

Powell County High School ranks in the bottom 21.7% of Kentucky high schools.

How many students attend Powell County High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 651 students attended Powell County High School.

What is the racial makeup of Powell County High School?

Students at Powell County High School are 94% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Powell County High School?

Powell County High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bowen Elementary School Elementary : Clay City Elementary School Elementary : Stanton Elementary School Middle : Powell County Middle School

Powell County High School

Summary:

Powell County High School is a public high school in Stanton, Kentucky, serving 651 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Powell County School District, which is ranked 154 out of 159 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite serving a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 58.83% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Powell County High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky high schools, with performance on standardized tests like the ACT and Kentucky State Assessments significantly below state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 13% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ACT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 30%. The school's four-year graduation rate of 91.4% is also slightly below the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Montgomery County High School and Menifee County High School, which have higher graduation rates of 95.5% and 94.1%, respectively, Powell County High School faces significant challenges in improving academic outcomes. The lack of nearby high-performing school options in the area may also limit the choices available to students and families seeking a better educational experience.

Detail:

Public 9-12

700 W College Ave
Stanton, KY 40380

(606) 663-3320

District: Powell County

SchoolDigger Rank:
227^th of 290 Kentucky High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,986

Feeder schools for Powell County High School:

Elementary:	Bowen Elementary School
	Clay City Elementary School
	Stanton Elementary School
Middle:	Powell County Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 651

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.5%

Hispanic:

2.3%

Two or more races:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.8%

See top rated Kentucky high schools

Compare Powell County High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Powell County High School ranks worse than 78.3% of high schools in Kentucky. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.44. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Powell County High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Powell County High School is $14,986.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Powell County High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Powell County High School 227^th of 290 Kentucky public high schools. (See Powell County High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Powell County:

SchoolDigger ranks Powell County 154^th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Powell County High School?

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Rank History for Powell County High School

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Rank History for all students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2007	12.89	208^th	217	4.1%
2008	7.34	215^th	217	0.9%
2009	23.30	183^rd	217	15.7%
2010	15.61	206^th	223	7.6%
2011	29.46	181^st	226	19.9%
2012	17.64	211^th	229	7.9%
2013	31.82	213^th	291	26.8%
2014	34.51	207^th	290	28.6%
2015	38.92	199^th	295	32.5%
2016	43.22	191^st	288	33.7%
2017	41.71	200^th	287	30.3%
2018	36.69	184^th	271	32.1%
2019	22.70	216^th	285	24.2%
2021	28.29	199^th	267	25.5%
2022	22.77	215^th	271	20.7%
2023	17.80	229^th	276	17.0%
2024	20.44	227^th	290	21.7%

See the entire list of Kentucky High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2019	18.63	191^st	226	15.5%
2023	27.89	124^th	162	23.5%
2024	38.05	90^th	168	46.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	41.08	155^th	232	33.2%
2019	30.98	189^th	254	25.6%
2021	26.77	194^th	234	17.1%
2022	20.12	221^st	266	16.9%
2023	22.39	221^st	272	18.8%
2024	15.89	233^rd	274	15.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	29.05	184^th	234	21.4%
2019	18.40	209^th	249	16.1%
2021	28.49	182^nd	236	22.9%
2022	26.58	196^th	252	22.2%
2023	12.63	227^th	253	10.3%
2024	20.96	212^th	261	18.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	31.05	123^rd	166	25.9%
2019	30.65	117^th	166	29.5%
2021	22.68	130^th	154	15.6%
2022	40.09	91^st	153	40.5%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	48.13	72^nd	115	37.4%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	39.39	153^rd	237	35.4%
2019	28.35	195^th	251	22.3%
2021	24.64	192^nd	238	19.3%
2022	20.93	209^th	257	18.7%
2023	23.93	202^nd	259	22.0%
2024	16.05	221^st	262	15.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Powell County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	24.22	165^th	198	16.7%
2019	17.48	190^th	219	13.2%
2021	19.14	169^th	203	16.7%
2022	17.72	229^th	260	11.9%
2023	13.39	240^th	264	9.1%
2024	14.32	235^th	273	13.9%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High 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 Powell County High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	674	5	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	682
1989	659	2	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	662
1990	639	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	641
1991	666	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
1992	704	4	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	708
1993	696	4	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	701
1994	738	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	743
1995	774	9	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	786
1996	774	9	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	786
1997	786	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	792
1998	792	7	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	1	804
1999	773	6	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	1	783
2000	770	7	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	3	785
2001	727	4	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	4	740
2002	710	6	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	721
2003	710	6	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	721
2004	723	10	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	742
2005	724	10	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	742
2006	710	9	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	729
2007	720	6	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	730
2008	705	5	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	714
2009	714	4	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	720
2010	711	6	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	723
2011	704	5	0	0	1	0	0	0	710
2012	735	5	0	3	2	0	1	0	746
2013	708	5	2	4	2	0	2	0	723
2014	707	1	0	8	0	0	3	0	719
2015	683	3	1	11	0	0	3	0	701
2016	660	6	1	9	0	0	3	0	679
2017	644	5	2	17	0	0	2	0	670
2018	643	7	3	16	0	0	4	0	673
2019	645	8	3	13	0	0	5	0	674
2020	629	9	1	13	0	0	5	0	657
2021	622	10	1	14	0	1	8	0	656
2022	655	9	0	18	0	1	7	0	690
2023	615	9	1	15	0	1	10	0	651

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 Powell County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	682	35.0	19.4	n/a
1989	662	37.2	17.7	n/a
1990	641	37.9	16.9	n/a
1991	668	38.0	17.5	n/a
1992	708	39.2	18.0	n/a
1993	701	41.2	17.0	n/a
1994	743	40.2	18.5	n/a
1995	786	45.5	17.3	n/a
1996	786	45.5	17.3	n/a
1997	792	47.5	16.7	33.2
1998	804	50.3	16.0	39.1
1999	783	50.8	15.4	47.1
2000	785	49.1	16.0	39.1
2001	740	49.0	15.1	47
2002	721	47.0	15.3	70.3
2003	721	47.0	15.3	70.3
2004	742	47.0	15.8	n/a
2005	742	45.5	16.3	n/a
2006	729	46.0	15.8	46.5
2007	730	40.0	18.3	55.6
2008	714	46.0	15.5	60.9
2009	720	46.0	15.7	62.1
2010	723	31.0	23.3	68.4
2011	710	46.5	15.2	69.3
2012	746	44.0	16.9	64.6
2013	723	45.0	16.0	69.7
2014	719	44.0	16.3	69
2015	701	47.0	14.9	69.2
2016	679	43.0	15.7	70.8
2017	670	43.5	15.4	74.2
2018	673	42.0	16.0	68.8
2019	674	40.0	16.8	67.4
2020	657	39.1	16.7	63.3
2021	656	40.0	16.4	60.5
2022	690	45.0	15.3	62.2
2023	651	41.0	15.8	58.8

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 Powell County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	682	35.0	19.4	n/a
1989	662	37.2	17.7	n/a
1990	641	37.9	16.9	n/a
1991	668	38.0	17.5	n/a
1992	708	39.2	18.0	n/a
1993	701	41.2	17.0	n/a
1994	743	40.2	18.5	n/a
1995	786	45.5	17.3	n/a
1996	786	45.5	17.3	n/a
1997	792	47.5	16.7	33.2
1998	804	50.3	16.0	39.1
1999	783	50.8	15.4	47.1
2000	785	49.1	16.0	39.1
2001	740	49.0	15.1	47
2002	721	47.0	15.3	70.3
2003	721	47.0	15.3	70.3
2004	742	47.0	15.8	n/a
2005	742	45.5	16.3	n/a
2006	729	46.0	15.8	46.5
2007	730	40.0	18.3	55.6
2008	714	46.0	15.5	60.9
2009	720	46.0	15.7	62.1
2010	723	31.0	23.3	68.4
2011	710	46.5	15.2	69.3
2012	746	44.0	16.9	64.6
2013	723	45.0	16.0	69.7
2014	719	44.0	16.3	69
2015	701	47.0	14.9	69.2
2016	679	43.0	15.7	70.8
2017	670	43.5	15.4	74.2
2018	673	42.0	16.0	68.8
2019	674	40.0	16.8	67.4
2020	657	39.1	16.7	63.3
2021	656	40.0	16.4	60.5
2022	690	45.0	15.3	62.2
2023	651	41.0	15.8	58.8

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 Powell County High 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	$552 (4.5%)	$284 (2.3%)	$836 (6.8%)	$8,642 (70.5%)	$1,937 (15.8%)	$10,579 (86.3%)	$12,260
2019	$894 (11.0%)	$247 (3.1%)	$1,209 (14.9%)	$4,836 (59.8%)	$1,994 (24.6%)	$6,830 (84.4%)	$8,091
2020	$536 (4.3%)	$320 (2.6%)	$856 (6.9%)	$8,128 (65.5%)	$2,077 (16.7%)	$11,220 (90.5%)	$12,403
2021	$908 (7.5%)	$725 (6.0%)	$1,763 (14.6%)	$9,127 (75.6%)	$2,268 (18.8%)	$10,599 (87.8%)	$12,065
2022	$1,622 (10.8%)	$1,242 (8.3%)	$2,914 (19.4%)	$8,760 (58.5%)	$2,450 (16.3%)	$11,160 (74.5%)	$14,986

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Powell County High 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 216^th of 285 High schools	Ranks 229^th of 276 High schools	7.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English (Powell County High School)	31.1	40	8.9%
11th Grade English (Powell County)	31.1	40	8.9%
11th Grade English (Kentucky)	49.1	47	2.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Powell County High School)	21.3	17	4.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Powell County)	21.3	17	4.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kentucky)	36.4	33	3.4%
11th Grade Reading (Powell County High School)	29.9	37	7.1%
11th Grade Reading (Powell County)	29.9	37	7.1%
11th Grade Reading (Kentucky)	46	44	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	674	651	3.4%
African American	8	9	12.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	13	15	15.4%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	645	615	4.7%
Two or More Races	5	10	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67.4%	58.8%	8.5%

Schools Near Powell County High 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 Writing (2024)	KSA Social Studies (2024)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2024)	ACT English (2024)	ACT Mathematics (2024)	ACT Reading (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 10th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	ACT English 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Reading 11th 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
Powell County High School	Public	9-12	700 W College Ave	Stanton	40380	Powell County	Powell County	No	No	No	No	(606) 663-3320	651	41	15.8	58.8%	615 (94.5%)	9 (1.4%)	15 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.5%)	20.4	227^th of 290 public high schools	21.7%		17.8	229^th of 276 public high schools	17.0%	2	23.0		34.0	20.0	19.0	32.0	34.0	13.0	29.0	$14,986	$1,622	$1,242	$2,914	$8,760	$2,450	$11,160
Powell County Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	642 Rose Way	Stanton	40380	Powell County	Powell County	No	No	Yes	No	(606) 663-3505	11	2	5.5	72.7%	11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		20.0	17.0
Estill County High School	Public	9-12	397 Engineer Rd	Irvine	40336	Estill County	Estill County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 723-3537	644	38	17.1	60.6%	624 (96.9%)	4 (0.6%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.4%)	57.7	110^th of 290 public high schools	62.1%		28.3	198^th of 276 public high schools	28.3%	88	34.0		51.0	45.0	48.0	45.0	43.0	28.0	36.0	$12,870	$1,705	$500	$2,472	$8,192	$2,936	$10,285
Estill County Success Academy	Public	6-12	253 Main St	Irvine	40336	Estill County	Estill County	No	No	No	No	(606) 723-2181	13	1	13.0	76.9%	13 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Estill County Area Technology Center	Public	9-12	253 Main Street	Irvine	40336	Estill County	Kentucky Technical System	No	No	No	No	(606) 723-2181	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Montgomery County Area Technology Center	Public	8-12	682 Woodford St	Mount Sterling	40353	Montgomery County	Kentucky Technical System	No	No	No	No	(859) 498-1103	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Montgomery County High School	Public	9-12	724 Woodford Drive	Mount Sterling	40353	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	No	(859) 497-8765	1,279	66	19.5	47.3%	1,118 (87.4%)	29 (2.3%)	84 (6.6%)	7 (0.5%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (2.7%)	63.7	90^th of 290 public high schools	69.0%		42.9	159^th of 276 public high schools	42.4%	69	43.0		58.0	46.0	46.0	45.0	39.0	26.0	45.0	$11,013	$947	$489	$1,436	$7,959	$2,287	$10,246
The Sterling School	Public	6-12	724 Woodford Drive	Mount Sterling	40353	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	No	(859) 497-8761	47	4	12.5	78.7%	42 (89.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	5	276^th of 290 public high schools	4.8%					(n/a)							10.0	0.0	10.0
Menifee County High School	Public	9-12	119 Indian Creek Road	Frenchburg	40322	Menifee County	Menifee County	No	No	No	No	(606) 768-8102	287	27	10.6	77.7%	277 (96.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	43.2	161^st of 290 public high schools	44.5%		19.4	225^th of 276 public high schools	18.5%	64	40.0		53.0	44.0	27.0	42.0	33.0	17.0	28.0	$20,541	$2,090	$1,123	$3,213	$12,919	$4,726	$17,645
Gateway Children's Services	Public, Virtual	5-12	37 North Maysville	Mount Sterling	40353	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	Yes	No	(859) 497-6428	13	1	10.4	61.5%	11 (84.6%)	2 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Powell County High School

Powell County High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Powell County:

What do you think?

Rank History for Powell County High School

Rank History for all students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Female students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Powell County High School

Rank History for Male students at Powell County High School

Rank History for White students at Powell County High School

Enrollment information for Powell County High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Powell County High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Powell County High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Powell County High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Powell County High School

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Frequently Asked Questions about Powell County High School

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