Where are KY’s best elementary schools? Ranking says one can be found at FCPS
A Lexington elementary school known for its gifted and talented program is one of the top performing grade schools in the state, according to a new ranking.
The report comes from Niche, a popular review website for K-12 schools and universities.
Among Kentucky’s highest-rated public elementary schools, Fayette County’s Meadowthorpe Elementary School took the No. 10 spot, earning high marks for academics, teacher quality and diversity.
Other FCPS locations have received recognition from Niche as well, including two of its high schools.
How does Niche calculate the grades it assigns?
According to Niche, the grades it assigns schools and colleges are informed by user reviews and publicly available data, such as federal education data. Niche draws from those sources to rate elementary schools for their performance on academics, teacher quality and diversity.
While the approach can offer a quick snapshot of academic performance, some school leaders have advised they do not capture all the nuances of student success.
“We are proud to have another one of our schools, Meadowthorpe Elementary, recognized among the ‘Best in Kentucky’ by Niche.com. This honor reflects strong academic metrics and positive feedback from students and families. However, it’s important to understand how Niche determines its rankings,” Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement March 27.
“Niche uses a combination of public data, including test scores and graduation rates, along with subjective reviews from students, parents, and staff. While this provides a broad perspective, the methodology has limitations. Rankings can be influenced by response rates, socioeconomic factors, and community engagement with the platform. Schools that perform well in ways not captured by Niche’s formula—such as student growth, innovative programs, or unique learning environments—may not appear on the list, despite offering exceptional education.
“We celebrate Meadowthorpe’s joining the list of recognized schools in Kentucky by Niche, while reaffirming that all 70 of our schools provide high-quality learning experiences,” Liggins statement continued. “A single ranking system does not define excellence, and we encourage families to consider multiple factors when evaluating schools. Our commitment remains to ensuring every student has access to an outstanding education.”
The best elementary schools in Kentucky in 2025
Here’s a look at some of the highest-rated public elementary schools in Kentucky and how they compare to one another, according to Niche.
1. Anchorage Independent Public School
Address: 11400 Ridge Road, Anchorage
Located in suburban Louisville, Anchorage Independent Public School has 405 students between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through eighth grade. According to Niche, the school has a small student-teacher ratio of 10-to-1. State test score data shows 81% of its students are proficient in math, along with 81% proficient in reading.
The school gets an overall A grade from Niche, along with A+ ratings in academics and teachers. It has a C grade for diversity.
2. Murray Elementary School
Address: 111 Broach Avenue, Murray
Murray Elementary School has a total of 544 students, according to Niche, offering pre-K and kindergarten through third grade. Its student-teacher ratio is 14-to-1. Murray Elementary gets an overall A grade from Niche, along with a solid A in academics, A+ for teachers and B+ for diversity.
Most of its students are at least proficient in math and reading, including 77% in math and 82% in reading.
3. Beechwood Elementary School
Address: 54 Beechwood Road, Fort Mitchell
Located in Kenton County, in the northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, Beechwood Elementary School educates a total of 752 students in pre-K and kindergarten through sixth grade. Students enjoy small class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 18-to-1, according to Niche.
State test scores show 71% of its students are at least proficient in math, while 70% are at least proficient in reading. Niche grades overall performance at Beechwood at the A-level, assigning it an A in academics, an A+ for its teachers and a B- on diversity.
4. Woodfill Elementary School
Address: 1025 Alexandria Park, Fort Thomas
Another Kentucky school in the Cincinnati-metro area, Samuel Woodfill Elementary has a total of 411 students, according to Niche. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students who learn there enjoy a small student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1. Students perform highly on state tests, with at least 72% at least proficient in math and 77% in reading.
Overall, the school gets an A from Niche, along with an A in academics, an A+ for its teachers and a C+ on diversity.
5. J. Graham Brown School
Address: 546 South 1st St., Louisville
J. Graham Brown School, also known as The Brown School, is a small magnet school in downtown Louisville that educates 738 students learning in grades kindergarten through 12th. According to Niche, its students perform strongly on state tests, with 61% scoring at least proficient in math, while 75% are at least proficient in reading.
It received an overall A-grade from Niche, an A for academics, an A- for teachers and an A- for diversity.
6. Johnson Elementary School
Address: 1180 North Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas
With a total enrollment of 425 students, Johnson Elementary School rates highly on academics (A) and on teacher quality (A+), according to Niche. It received an overall A-grade from Niche and a C+ in diversity.
The school educates students between pre-K and kindergarten through fifth grade, and students enjoy a student-teacher ratio of 16-to-1. On state tests, 72% of its students score at least proficient in mathematics. In reading, that figure is 76% of students.
7. Pikeville Elementary School
Address: 105 Bailey Blvd., Pikeville
Pikeville Elementary School counts 652 enrolled students, offering instruction for pre-K and kindergarten through the sixth grade. There’s a small student-teacher ratio of 15-to-1, and most students at the Eastern Kentucky school are at least proficient in reading (68%) and math (65%).
Pikeville Elementary gets an overall A-grade from Niche, with an A in academics, A+ for teacher quality and B- for diversity.
8. Russell Primary School
Address: 710 Red Devil Lane, Russell
Located outside of Ashland, Russell Primary School has a total of 486 students in pre-K and kindergarten through third grade. Students learn in small class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 14-to-1, according to Niche.
On state tests, a majority of its students are at least proficient, including 67% in math and 72% in reading. Niche assigned Russell Primary an overall grade of A, along with giving it an A in academics and A+ for its teachers. The school received a B- for diversity from Niche.
9. Moyer Elementary School
Address: 219 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas
According to Niche, Moyer Elementary School educates a total of 544 students in pre-K and kindergarten through fifth grade. With a student-teacher ratio of 18-to-1, Moyer got an overall A grade from Niche, along with A grades for its academics and teachers. On diversity, the school received a B- from Niche.
The website notes 66% of students are at least proficient in math and 66% in reading.
10. Meadowthorpe Elementary School
Address: 1710 North Forbes Road, Lexington
Meadowthorpe Elementary School, part of Fayette County Public Schools, is notable as it excels across Niche’s rankings, with the website assigning it an A overall, an A for its academics, A+ for teacher quality and an A in diversity.
The school has a total of 480 students learning in pre-K and kindergarten through the fifth grade. There’s a small student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1, and most students are at least proficient in math (63%) and reading (65%).
Notably, Meadowthorpe is home to a districtwide gifted and talented accelerated program.
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