Can I use Nelson County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Nelson County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Nelson County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Nelson County?

Start with the 19 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Nelson County Schools & Education

Name: Nelson County, Kentucky Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Nelson County, Kentucky

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

93.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 93.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,971

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,894

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 57/100

State Score Position

#57

of 120 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Nelson County

Measured School Summary

Nelson County performs at an average level with a school score of 58/100 and a solid graduation rate of 93.4%.

Funding Context

At $6,971 per pupil, Nelson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 2% above the Kentucky average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Nelson 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

19 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

58/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #57 of 120 Kentucky counties with school score data.

Completion

93.4%

0.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,971

$77 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Nelson County has 19 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Nelson 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

Nelson County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 12 of 19 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#57

of 120 Kentucky counties with school score data. The county score is 1 points above 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.

Nelson County

Elementary to high school visible

4,420 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 3Other 2

12 listed schools in this county slice.

Bardstown Independent

Elementary to high school visible

2,713 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 1

6 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Nelson County is the largest listed district slice, with 12 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 Nelson County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Nelson 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Nelson County, Kentucky

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Robust Dual-District System

Nelson County supports 7,133 students through a network of 19 public schools across two distinct districts. The infrastructure includes seven elementary, three middle, and six high schools, providing a diverse range of educational pathways for the community.

Nelson County and Bardstown Independent Districts

The Nelson County district is the largest, serving 4,420 students, while Bardstown Independent serves another 2,713 students. Charter schools do not currently operate in either district, as traditional public schools comprise 100% of the local options.

Town-Centered Schools in a Rural Landscape

The county features a mix of 11 rural and 8 town-based schools, with an average enrollment of 420 students per campus. Bardstown Elementary is the largest school with 795 students, while many of the rural primary schools offer a smaller, close-knit learning environment.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Nelson County

Reported Enrollment

7,133

19 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle3

High6

Other3

2 School Districts in Nelson County

Nelson County

Bardstown Independent

6 schools

2,713 students

19 Public Schools in Nelson County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 19 of 19 matching schools

Public schools in Nelson County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Bardstown Elementary School	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	2–5	Primary	795
Nelson County High School	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	784
Foster Heights Elementary School	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	KG–5	Primary	674
Thomas Nelson High School	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	669
Bardstown High School	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	9–12	High	655
Bardstown Middle School	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	575
Coxs Creek Elementary School	Record	Nelson County	Coxs Creek, 40013Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	446
Bardstown Primary School	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	KG–1	Primary	386
Old Kentucky Home Middle School	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	368
Boston School	Record	Nelson County	Boston, 40107Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	361
Bloomfield Middle School	Record	Nelson County	Bloomfield, 40008Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	352
The New Haven School	Record	Nelson County	New Haven, 40051Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	345
Bardstown Early Childhood Center	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	PK	Other	271
Bloomfield Elementary School	Record	Nelson County	Bloomfield, 40008Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	250
Nelson County Early Learning Center	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	PK	Other	141
Bardstown Alternative School	Record	Bardstown Independent	Bardstown, 40004Town: Distant	6–12	Alternative	31
The Academy at Horizons	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Alternative	30
Nelson County Area Technology Center	Record	Kentucky Tech System	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	8–12	Vocational	0
THE UP CENTER	Record	Nelson County	Bardstown, 40004Rural: Fringe	6–12	Vocational	0

Bardstown Elementary School

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

Record2–5Primary795 students

Nelson County High School

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High784 students

Foster Heights Elementary School

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary674 students

Thomas Nelson High School

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High669 students

Bardstown High School

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High655 students

Bardstown Middle School

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle575 students

Coxs Creek Elementary School

Nelson County

Coxs Creek, 40013 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary446 students

Bardstown Primary School

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–1Primary386 students

Old Kentucky Home Middle School

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle368 students

Boston School

Nelson County

Boston, 40107 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary361 students

Bloomfield Middle School

Nelson County

Bloomfield, 40008 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle352 students

The New Haven School

Nelson County

New Haven, 40051 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary345 students

Bardstown Early Childhood Center

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther271 students

Bloomfield Elementary School

Nelson County

Bloomfield, 40008 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary250 students

Nelson County Early Learning Center

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther141 students

Bardstown Alternative School

Bardstown Independent

Bardstown, 40004 / Town: Distant

Record6–12Alternative31 students

The Academy at Horizons

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–12Alternative30 students

Nelson County Area Technology Center

Kentucky Tech System

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

Record8–12Vocational0 students

THE UP CENTER

Nelson County

Bardstown, 40004 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–12Vocational0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,971

State avg $6,894

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Nelson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kentucky counties have the highest graduation rates?

Rockcastle County (99.0%), Taylor County (98.5%), and Carter County (98.0%) currently lead Kentucky among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Kentucky?

Across Kentucky counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,894. The highest current county values are Wolfe County ($9,307), Fayette County ($8,810), and Jefferson County ($8,382). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Nelson County?

Nelson County has a school score of 58/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Nelson County?

The high school graduation rate in Nelson County is 93.4%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Nelson County spend per student?

Nelson County spends $6,971 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Nelson County, Kentucky — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Nelson County, Kentucky?

What are the major school districts in Nelson County, Kentucky?

What is the school experience like in Nelson County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Lewis County

Kentucky

0 pts

58/100

School score

Warren County

Kentucky

-0 pts

58/100

School score

Bracken County

Kentucky

+0 pts

58/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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