Ashland Elementary School vs Athens-Chilesburg Elementary

Ashland Elementary School holds a 0.7-point overall rating advantage over Athens-Chilesburg Elementary — 9.5 vs. 8.8 out of 10. That gap carries weight in context: Ashland Elementary School ranks #2 of 1,284 schools statewide, while Athens-Chilesburg Elementary ranks #30. Both are exceptional by any standard, but the statewide positioning places Ashland in a category very few Kentucky elementary schools reach, just one slot from the top of the entire state.

Academically, the two schools are nearly even: Athens-Chilesburg Elementary scores a 9.7 and Ashland Elementary School a 9.6 — a negligible difference parents should not treat as meaningful. Where the schools diverge clearly is growth. Ashland Elementary School holds a 9.3 growth score against Athens-Chilesburg Elementary's 8.2 — a 1.1-point gap indicating that students at Ashland are advancing relative to academic expectations at a faster rate. Growth scores measure year-over-year progress rather than raw proficiency, so this delta reflects how effectively teachers are moving individual students forward.

Ashland Elementary School enrolls 281 students versus Athens-Chilesburg Elementary's 570, and that size difference flows directly into classroom dynamics. Ashland's student-teacher ratio is 10.0:1 against Athens-Chilesburg's 13.6:1 — nearly four fewer students per teacher on average. On the economic diversity front, 41% of Ashland students qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to 21% at Athens-Chilesburg, meaning Ashland serves a notably broader income range within its smaller enrollment while still outranking nearly every school in the state.

Both schools serve grades KG through 05 and sit 5.4 miles apart within Lexington, making them realistic alternatives for families near the middle of the city. Neither school offers a grade-level distinction over the other — the choice comes down to class size, growth trajectory, and the community each family is seeking, not structural program differences.