Southwestern High School

Summary:

Southwestern High School is a public high school located in Somerset, Kentucky, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,265 students. The school is part of the Pulaski County School District, which is ranked 12th out of 159 districts in Kentucky and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Southwestern High School has consistently maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, indicating strong academic performance.

Southwestern High School consistently outperforms the state average in various standardized test scores, including ACT English, Mathematics, and Reading, as well as the Kentucky State Assessments (KSA) in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Editing and Mechanics. The school's proficiency rates in these tests are often higher than the Pulaski County district average, suggesting Southwestern High School is a strong academic performer within its local context. Additionally, the school has a 90.9% four-year graduation rate, which is higher than the state average and the Pulaski County district average.

While Southwestern High School excels in the performance of certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, the school's performance for students with special needs and multi-racial students is relatively lower compared to other subgroups. Compared to the nearby Pulaski County High School, Southwestern High School performs similarly in terms of academic achievement and graduation rates. However, the nearby Eagle Academy, a smaller alternative high school, struggles with significantly lower academic performance and graduation rates compared to Southwestern High School. The performance of Wayne County High School, located further away, is notably lower than Southwestern High School across various academic metrics.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1765 WTLO Rd
       Somerset, KY  42503


(606) 678-9000

District: Pulaski County

SchoolDigger Rank:
63rd of 290 Kentucky High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,322 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  1,203

Racial breakdown:

White:
86.4%
Hispanic:
6.5%
Two or more races:
3.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Southwestern High School ranks better than 78.3% of high schools in Kentucky. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked high schools in the Pulaski County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.56. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Southwestern High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Southwestern High School has the largest high school student body size in the Pulaski County School District. Racial makeup is: White (86.4%), Hispanic (6.5%), two or more races (3.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 64.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwestern High School is 16.7. 1 high schools in the Pulaski County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Southwestern High School employs 72 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwestern High School is $12,322. 1 high schools in the Pulaski County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwestern High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwestern High School 63rd of 290 Kentucky public high schools. (See Southwestern High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pulaski County:

SchoolDigger ranks Pulaski County 12th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Southwestern High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 38.00 136th 217 37.3%
2008 70.50 38th 217 82.5%
2009 80.83 19th 217 91.2%
2010 74.37 40th 223 82.1%
2011 62.52 65th 226 71.2%
2012 76.35 31st 229 86.5%
2013 77.50 36th 291 87.6%
2014 67.99 69th 290 76.2%
2015 74.40 57th 295 80.7%
2016 71.38 61st 288 78.8%
2017 81.30 28th 287 90.2%
2018 77.57 44th 271 83.8%
2019 65.52 76th 285 73.3%
2021 61.26 65th 267 75.7%
2022 63.07 77th 271 71.6%
2023 71.46 51st 276 81.5%
2024 71.56 63rd 290 78.3%
See the entire list of Kentucky High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 72.25 11th 77 85.7%
2024 39.77 56th 87 35.6%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 64.10 76th 226 66.4%
2023 52.01 53rd 162 67.3%
2024 25.84 135th 168 19.6%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.90 22nd 232 90.5%
2019 74.82 41st 254 83.9%
2021 66.74 39th 234 83.3%
2022 63.13 67th 266 74.8%
2023 77.14 26th 272 90.4%
2024 75.26 38th 274 86.1%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.11 25th 234 89.3%
2019 68.98 55th 249 77.9%
2021 61.80 64th 236 72.9%
2022 65.33 65th 252 74.2%
2023 69.38 50th 253 80.2%
2024 68.57 64th 261 75.5%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.41 146th 166 12.0%
2019 56.57 59th 166 64.5%
2021 18.05 136th 154 11.7%
2022 43.96 73rd 153 52.3%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.26 47th 115 59.1%
2019 58.40 42nd 102 58.8%
2022 77.44 8th 38 78.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 39.60 6th 9 33.3%
2023 38.14 2nd 3 33.3%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.65 55th 237 76.8%
2019 62.11 79th 251 68.5%
2021 52.14 83rd 238 65.1%
2022 50.29 108th 257 58.0%
2023 70.21 45th 259 82.6%
2024 67.48 65th 262 75.2%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.80 50th 80 37.5%
2019 87.86 9th 88 89.8%
2021 64.90 21st 92 77.2%
2022 66.54 30th 114 73.7%
2023 92.33 4th 116 96.6%
2024 73.24 20th 124 83.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Southwestern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.28 46th 198 76.8%
2019 57.55 87th 219 60.3%
2021 46.36 91st 203 55.2%
2022 51.95 112th 260 56.9%
2023 61.40 79th 264 70.1%
2024 62.85 84th 273 69.2%
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.

Southwestern High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southwestern High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 982 3 0 0 0 n/a n/a 10 995
1995 1010 7 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 1020
1996 1010 7 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 1020
1997 977 9 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 989
1998 998 6 0 3 3 n/a n/a 3 1013
1999 1010 7 1 3 2 n/a n/a 3 1026
2000 1055 8 6 5 0 n/a n/a 5 1079
2001 1000 7 7 3 1 n/a n/a 4 1022
2002 1072 11 5 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1091
2003 1072 11 5 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1091
2004 1071 10 3 4 2 n/a n/a 0 1090
2005 1154 7 3 14 1 n/a n/a 0 1179
2006 1164 6 8 15 2 n/a n/a 0 1195
2007 1171 7 8 18 3 n/a n/a 1 1208
2008 1201 13 6 17 2 n/a n/a 1 1240
2009 1132 11 7 18 3 n/a n/a 1 1172
2010 1084 15 7 18 1 n/a n/a 1 1126
2011 1102 15 6 18 1 0 0 0 1142
2012 1116 22 6 28 0 0 0 0 1172
2013 1144 19 5 32 0 2 0 0 1202
2014 1160 24 4 30 0 1 0 0 1219
2015 1141 27 6 28 1 0 2 0 1205
2016 1151 23 8 32 0 2 4 0 1220
2017 1191 27 3 36 1 1 8 0 1267
2018 1178 17 12 41 2 1 13 0 1264
2019 1188 14 15 53 2 0 15 0 1287
2020 1248 16 22 57 2 0 20 0 1365
2021 1195 15 20 65 2 0 36 0 1333
2022 1135 22 19 74 0 0 37 0 1287
2023 1099 24 25 75 0 0 42 0 1265
2024 1039 22 21 78 1 0 42 0 1203

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 Southwestern High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 995 58.0 17.2 n/a
1995 1020 58.0 17.6 n/a
1996 1020 58.0 17.6 n/a
1997 989 56.4 17.5 33
1998 1013 61.0 16.6 37.3
1999 1026 54.4 18.9 49.1
2000 1079 54.0 20.0 51.4
2001 1022 63.7 16.0 54.2
2002 1091 60.5 18.0 79.6
2003 1091 60.5 18.0 79.6
2004 1090 58.0 18.8 n/a
2005 1179 62.2 19.0 n/a
2006 1195 67.5 17.7 46.7
2007 1208 68.0 17.8 47.9
2008 1240 70.0 17.7 51.3
2009 1172 70.0 16.7 50.8
2010 1126 56.0 20.1 55.1
2011 1142 71.0 16.0 61.8
2012 1172 73.0 16.0 54.2
2013 1202 67.5 17.8 61.1
2014 1219 63.9 19.0 61.8
2015 1205 70.0 17.2 61.4
2016 1220 70.0 17.4 62.2
2017 1267 70.5 17.9 63.4
2018 1264 70.5 17.9 61.6
2019 1287 72.0 17.8 65.1
2020 1365 72.5 18.8 58.5
2021 1333 75.5 17.6 63.2
2022 1287 76.0 16.9 64.9
2023 1265 74.0 17.0 63.8
2024 1203 72.0 16.7 64.7

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 Southwestern High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 995 58.0 17.2 n/a
1995 1020 58.0 17.6 n/a
1996 1020 58.0 17.6 n/a
1997 989 56.4 17.5 33
1998 1013 61.0 16.6 37.3
1999 1026 54.4 18.9 49.1
2000 1079 54.0 20.0 51.4
2001 1022 63.7 16.0 54.2
2002 1091 60.5 18.0 79.6
2003 1091 60.5 18.0 79.6
2004 1090 58.0 18.8 n/a
2005 1179 62.2 19.0 n/a
2006 1195 67.5 17.7 46.7
2007 1208 68.0 17.8 47.9
2008 1240 70.0 17.7 51.3
2009 1172 70.0 16.7 50.8
2010 1126 56.0 20.1 55.1
2011 1142 71.0 16.0 61.8
2012 1172 73.0 16.0 54.2
2013 1202 67.5 17.8 61.1
2014 1219 63.9 19.0 61.8
2015 1205 70.0 17.2 61.4
2016 1220 70.0 17.4 62.2
2017 1267 70.5 17.9 63.4
2018 1264 70.5 17.9 61.6
2019 1287 72.0 17.8 65.1
2020 1365 72.5 18.8 58.5
2021 1333 75.5 17.6 63.2
2022 1287 76.0 16.9 64.9
2023 1265 74.0 17.0 63.8
2024 1203 72.0 16.7 64.7

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 Southwestern High School

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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 $682 (6.5%) $156 (1.5%) $837 (8.0%) $7,844 (74.7%) $1,826 (17.4%) $9,670 (92.0%) $10,507
2019 $624 (5.5%) $83 (0.7%) $707 (6.2%) $8,461 (74.2%) $1,516 (13.3%) $9,978 (87.5%) $11,408
2020 $512 (4.8%) $122 (1.2%) $634 (6.0%) $7,797 (73.6%) $1,917 (18.1%) $9,714 (91.7%) $10,591
2021 $704 (5.9%) $640 (5.3%) $1,541 (12.8%) $7,820 (65.2%) $1,962 (16.4%) $9,782 (81.5%) $11,999
2022 $743 (6.0%) $668 (5.4%) $1,591 (12.9%) $8,168 (66.3%) $1,978 (16.1%) $10,146 (82.3%) $12,322

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwestern 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 76th of 285 High schoolsRanks 51st of 276 High schools
 8.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English (Southwestern High School)47.547
 0.5%
   11th Grade English (Pulaski County)51.146
 5.1%
   11th Grade English (Kentucky)49.147
 2.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Southwestern High School)46.941
 5.9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Pulaski County)43.337
 6.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kentucky)36.433
 3.4%
11th Grade Reading (Southwestern High School)4545
   11th Grade Reading (Pulaski County)46.746
 0.7%
   11th Grade Reading (Kentucky)4644
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12871265
 1.7%
African American1424
 71.4%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian1525
 66.7%
Hispanic5375
 41.5%
Pacific Islander00
White11881099
 7.5%
Two or More Races1542
 180%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients65.1%63.8%
 1.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,203 students attended Southwestern High School.

Students at Southwestern High School are 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

Southwestern High School ranks 63rd of 290 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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.





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