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Stearns Lumber Company StoresPhoto: Kybluegrass · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+
Schools in Stearns · McCreary County School District

Stearns’s public schools score below 58% of Kentucky districts on tests and graduation

The grade covers the public school district serving Stearns, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Kentucky, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From Kentucky state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
45%
▲ 0 pts vs KY 45%
2021–22
Math proficiency
34%
▼ 4 pts vs KY 38%
2021–22
Graduate on time
90–94%
▼ 1–3 pts vs KY 91%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$14.2K
▼ 4% vs KY $14.8K
FY2024
Students per teacher
15.1
KY 15.4
Schools in town
2
2,316 students on the public path
In brief

Stearns’s schools, in brief

Above the state in reading, below in math

Reading proficiency is 45% and math 34% in spring 2022, against 45% and 38% statewide; 90–94% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 91%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $14,190 per student, against $14,752 across Kentucky (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is McCreary County Middle School, then McCreary Central High School. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Stearns’s grade

B− Test scoresC Graduation

C+: better than 42% of Kentucky school districts. Graduation is above the Kentucky average; test scores are below it.

Kentucky school districts we grade (172)Better than 42%
Lower resultsHigher results
Kentucky towns with similar household incomes (203)Better than 41%
C−B+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 1,343 test results and a graduating class of 177 could put Stearns anywhere from C− to B+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Stearns’s students in the tested grades sat them (1,343 in math, 1,343 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Stearns, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–52 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressD
6–8McCreary County Middle SchoolMcCreary County School DistrictC+
9–12McCreary Central High SchoolMcCreary County School DistrictC−

Stearns’s public schools are run by McCreary County School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

McCreary County School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 5 schools · 2,668 students, down 2% since 2020–21 · 15.1 per teacher (KY 15.4)
$14,190KY $14,752 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2021–22

Close to the state in reading

Reading45%
State average 44.7% · 1343 students tested
Math34%
State average 37.8% · 1343 students tested

Stearns vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Kentucky towns that share Stearns’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
StearnsC+McCreary County

Every school in Stearns

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Kentucky’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Stearnsby address
McCreary County Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
C+
633 students16:1Rate it →
McCreary Central High School
High · Grades 9–12
C−
711 students16:1Rate it →
Also serving Stearnsin other towns
Whitley City Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Whitley City
D
547 students15:1Rate it →
Pine Knot Primary
Elementary · Grades PK–2 · Pine Knot
425 students15:1Rate it →

Questions about Stearns’s schools

Are Stearns’s schools good?

On Kentucky’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Stearns children attend score below 58% of Kentucky’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 41%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Stearns in?

McCreary County School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 2,668 students in 5 schools (2024–25).

Where do Stearns kids go to high school?

McCreary Central High School, with 711 students; its own test results earn a C−.

What is Stearns’s graduation rate?

90–94% of the class of 2023 in McCreary County School District graduated in four years, against 91% across Kentucky.

How much does Stearns spend per student?

$14,190 in McCreary County School District (FY2024), against $14,752 across Kentucky. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Stearns families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Stearns → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Kentucky. Stars are from neighbors.