Fayette schools should give low-performing elementary more support, KY says

Fayette County Public Schools should give more support to Russell Cave Elementary School, according to a state review of the school, conducted because it is among the lowest-performing in Kentucky.

A separate state diagnostic review report for Russell Cave Elementary, specifically, found that “despite numerous defined priorities, ranging from state and district mandates to internal goals, the school lacks a cohesive framework.”

The reports were released by the state Feb. 23 following an evaluation team’s multi-day diagnostic review that occurred in January.

The state conducted a review of both the school district’s support of Russell Cave and the school itself. They were two of 43 reviews conducted statewide as a result of 2024-2025 academic performance.

Russell Cave was among the bottom 5% of schools in the state, federally qualifying it as needing comprehensive state intervention.

The kindergarten through fifth grade school on Russell Cave Road in rural Lexington has 274 students. More than 70% of students are classified as Hispanic/Latino.

The state evaluation of the district said from the 2023 to the 2026 diagnostic review, 25 of the 28 indicators had slightly improved, while three declined. Overall, classroom observational data slightly improved compared with data collected in 2023.

Classroom observational data from the 2023 to the 2026 diagnostic review indicated some improvement, though the overall rate of progress was limited. Five overall average ratings increased, two remained the same and one decreased.

Deputy Fayette Superintendent Houston Barber said at a recent district budget workshop that, overall, the school district is academically successful.

Fayette County Schools is making measurable progress for students, Barber said. FCPS continues to out-perform state averages in Kentucky’s school accountability system, he said.

At Russell Cave, the state review found a lack of resources and strategies to meet the learning needs of English Language Learners.

“These findings suggest a need to strengthen core teacher training in EL instructional strategies, expand meaningful involvement of non-English-speaking families and community members and provide additional human resources beyond standard district allocations to ensure EL needs are effectively addressed,” the report read. “The system for acquiring resources and materials was not clearly defined for all appropriate stakeholders.”

Evaluators found that both school and district leaders were competent to make necessary improvements.

In response to the diagnostic reviews, district spokesperson Miranda Scully told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday, “Fayette County Public Schools welcomes the insights provided by the diagnostic review reports for both the district and Russell Cave Elementary. These reviews are a vital part of our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.”

The diagnostic review also identified several key areas where Russell Cave and Fayette County Public Schools are excelling, including creating a positive and engaged culture of continuous improvement, Scully said.

She said the review identified two specific areas for growth at Russell Cave:

• Empower teachers and build their capacity to analyze data from multiple sources and tailor instruction to address students’ needs.
• Establish and implement a professional learning system that equips staff and leaders with the skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of students.

At the district level, Scully said, the review identified one improvement as a primary priority:

“Clearly define, communicate, and monitor a systematic process for allocating human, fiscal, and instructional resources based on student data to ensure individual learners’ needs are met.”

“Our team is already moving forward, collaborating on strategies to review and sharing these findings with our staff, families, and our supporting community,” Scully said. “Together, we are developing actionable plans to address the improvement priorities identified by the diagnostic review team, using this data to guide our continuous improvement while celebrating the significant successes noted by the report.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.