Hardin County Schools & Education
Hardin County, Kentucky
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
34/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 93.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,298
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,894
School Score
34/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 57/100
State Score Position
#115
of 120 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Hardin County
Measured School Summary
Hardin County faces educational challenges with a school score of 34/100 and a graduation rate of 89.4%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,298 per pupil, Hardin County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 41% below the Kentucky average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Hardin County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
33 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
34/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #115 of 120 Kentucky counties with school score data.
Completion
89.4%
4.4 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,298
$596 below the state average
School coverage
33
2 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Hardin County has 33 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Hardin County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
Hardin County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 26 of 33 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#115
of 120 Kentucky counties with school score data. The county score is 23 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Hardin County
Elementary to high school visible
14,675 students
26 listed schools in this county slice.
Elizabethtown Independent
Elementary to high school visible
2,465 students
7 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Hardin County is the largest listed district slice, with 26 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Hardin County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Hardin County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Hardin County School Score Significantly Below State Average
Education data brief for Hardin County, Kentucky.
Hardin County reports a composite school score of 33.9, which is notably lower than the Kentucky state average of 56.7 and the national median of 50.0. This score is recorded across a large system of 33 schools serving 17,140 students in two districts: Hardin County and Elizabethtown Independent. The Hardin County district is the dominant provider, managing 26 schools and 14,675 students, including Central Hardin High School, which is the county's largest with 1,914 students. The graduation rate for the county stands at 89.4%, which exceeds the national average of 87.0% but trails the state average of 93.8%. Per-pupil expenditure is $6,298, less than half of the national average of $13,000. The county features a diverse school locale mix, including 12 rural, 11 city, and 10 suburban schools, and includes six alternative schools. Reference the NCES Common Core of Data for comprehensive enrollment and campus-type statistics.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
33
in Hardin County
Reported Enrollment
17,140
33 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Hardin County
Hardin County
GuideElizabethtown Independent
33 Public Schools in Hardin County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 33 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Hardin High School | Profile | Hardin County | Cecilia, 42724City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,914 |
| North Hardin High School | Profile | Hardin County | Radcliff, 40160Suburb: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,651 |
| Elizabethtown High School | Record | Elizabethtown Independent | Elizabethtown, 42701City: Small | 9–12 | High | 824 |
| G C Burkhead Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 811 |
| John Hardin High School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Suburb: Small | 9–12 | High | 790 |
| East Hardin Middle School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 780 |
| James T Alton Middle School | Record | Hardin County | Vine Grove, 40175Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 666 |
| North Park Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Radcliff, 40160Suburb: Small | PK–KG | Primary | 609 |
| Bluegrass Middle School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Suburb: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 578 |
| North Middle School | Record | Hardin County | Radcliff, 40160Suburb: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 578 |
| Lincoln Trail Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 564 |
| Heartland Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 559 |
| Talton K Stone Middle School | Record | Elizabethtown Independent | Elizabethtown, 42701City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 545 |
| Woodland Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Radcliff, 40160Suburb: Small | 1–5 | Primary | 537 |
| Rineyville Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Rineyville, 40162Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 527 |
| Vine Grove Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Vine Grove, 40175Rural: Fringe | 1–5 | Primary | 511 |
| West Hardin Middle School | Record | Hardin County | Cecilia, 42724Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 509 |
| Meadow View Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Radcliff, 40160Suburb: Small | KG–5 | Primary | 503 |
| New Highland Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Elizabethtown, 42701Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 501 |
| Lakewood Elementary School | Record | Hardin County | Cecilia, 42724Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 459 |
Central Hardin High School
Hardin County
Cecilia, 42724 / City: Small
North Hardin High School
Hardin County
Radcliff, 40160 / Suburb: Small
Elizabethtown High School
Elizabethtown Independent
Elizabethtown, 42701 / City: Small
G C Burkhead Elementary School
Hardin County
Elizabethtown, 42701 / Rural: Fringe
East Hardin Middle School
Hardin County
Elizabethtown, 42701 / Rural: Fringe
James T Alton Middle School
Hardin County
Vine Grove, 40175 / Rural: Fringe
North Park Elementary School
Hardin County
Radcliff, 40160 / Suburb: Small
Lincoln Trail Elementary School
Hardin County
Elizabethtown, 42701 / Rural: Fringe
Heartland Elementary School
Hardin County
Elizabethtown, 42701 / Rural: Fringe
Talton K Stone Middle School
Elizabethtown Independent
Elizabethtown, 42701 / City: Small
Rineyville Elementary School
Hardin County
Rineyville, 40162 / Rural: Fringe
Vine Grove Elementary School
Hardin County
Vine Grove, 40175 / Rural: Fringe
Meadow View Elementary School
Hardin County
Radcliff, 40160 / Suburb: Small
New Highland Elementary School
Hardin County
Elizabethtown, 42701 / Suburb: Small
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,298
State avg $6,894
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Hardin County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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What is the graduation rate in Hardin County?
How much does Hardin County spend per student?
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.