Thomas Nelson High School

Summary:

Thomas Nelson High School is a public high school located in Bardstown, Kentucky, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 669 students. The school is part of the Nelson County School District, which is ranked 148 out of 159 districts in Kentucky and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past few years, Thomas Nelson High School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 17th out of 288 Kentucky high schools in 2015-2016 to 179th out of 290 in the current 2023-2024 school year. The school's SchoolDigger rating has also decreased from 5 stars to 2 stars during this time. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with female students, white students, and low socioeconomic status students lagging behind their peers statewide. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in ACT Mathematics (24%) and KSA Mathematics for 10th grade (31%) were significantly lower than the state averages of 30% and 36%, respectively.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Bardstown High School, which is located just 3 miles away, Thomas Nelson High School generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores and statewide rankings. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Bardstown High School outperformed Thomas Nelson High School in ACT English (59% vs. 41%), ACT Mathematics (34% vs. 24%), and KSA Mathematics for 10th grade (31% vs. 28%). The school's low Nelson County School District ranking and the high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (38.12% in 2022-2023) may be contributing factors to the school's overall performance challenges.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 150 Generals Blvd
       Bardstown, KY  40004


(502) 349-4650

District: Nelson County

SchoolDigger Rank:
179th of 290 Kentucky High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,115 Help


Feeder schools for Thomas Nelson High School:

Elementary:    Boston School
    The New Haven School
Middle:    Old Kentucky Home Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  22.1 Help
Number of students:  643

Racial breakdown:

White:
94.9%
Hispanic:
2.3%
Two or more races:
1.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thomas Nelson High School ranks worse than 61.7% of high schools in Kentucky. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.02. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Thomas Nelson High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.3%), two or more races (1.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 42% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Nelson High School is 22.1, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Nelson County School District! (See more...)
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Compare Thomas Nelson High School employs 29 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Nelson High School is $11,115. 1 high schools in the Nelson County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Nelson High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Nelson High School 179th of 290 Kentucky public high schools. (See Thomas Nelson High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Nelson County:

SchoolDigger ranks Nelson County 148th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Thomas Nelson High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 77.85 42nd 295 85.8%
2016 88.50 17th 288 94.1%
2017 74.57 54th 287 81.2%
2018 69.21 68th 271 74.9%
2019 69.72 61st 285 78.6%
2021 56.28 79th 267 70.4%
2022 39.36 168th 271 38.0%
2023 36.58 176th 276 36.2%
2024 39.02 179th 290 38.3%
See the entire list of Kentucky High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 52.41 108th 226 52.2%
2024 37.93 92nd 168 45.2%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.00 66th 232 71.6%
2019 76.01 39th 254 84.6%
2021 51.78 93rd 234 60.3%
2022 43.93 143rd 266 46.2%
2023 31.96 196th 272 27.9%
2024 33.86 184th 274 32.8%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.93 22nd 234 90.6%
2019 62.12 85th 249 65.9%
2021 51.26 94th 236 60.2%
2022 35.61 173rd 252 31.3%
2023 30.74 191st 253 24.5%
2024 36.76 170th 261 34.9%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.12 120th 166 27.7%
2021 18.05 136th 154 11.7%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.65 116th 237 51.1%
2019 59.28 89th 251 64.5%
2021 53.11 79th 238 66.8%
2022 49.16 112th 257 56.4%
2023 38.52 158th 259 39.0%
2024 34.94 173rd 262 34.0%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Thomas Nelson High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KY State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.07 64th 198 67.7%
2019 53.42 102nd 219 53.4%
2021 49.22 80th 203 60.6%
2022 32.04 179th 260 31.2%
2023 25.79 200th 264 24.2%
2024 27.97 199th 273 27.1%
See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kentucky Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Thomas Nelson High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Thomas Nelson High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2013 527 7 1 8 1 0 2 0 546
2014 706 8 2 16 0 0 2 0 734
2015 699 3 3 14 0 1 4 0 724
2016 696 5 1 12 0 1 5 0 720
2017 663 4 2 16 0 0 3 0 688
2018 647 7 7 11 0 1 5 0 678
2019 640 9 8 12 1 1 9 0 680
2020 614 8 6 14 0 1 6 0 649
2021 660 8 6 14 0 1 9 0 698
2022 659 9 5 17 0 0 8 0 698
2023 628 10 4 22 0 0 5 0 669
2024 610 5 3 15 0 0 10 0 643

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thomas Nelson High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 546 26.2 20.8 43.2
2014 734 32.6 22.5 38.8
2015 724 33.0 21.9 40.9
2016 720 32.0 22.5 46.3
2017 688 35.6 19.2 45.8
2018 678 31.1 21.7 43.4
2019 680 30.6 22.2 40.6
2020 649 30.8 21.0 34.1
2021 698 30.5 22.8 42.1
2022 698 32.2 21.6 46.6
2023 669 32.0 20.9 38.1
2024 643 29.0 22.1 42

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Thomas Nelson High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 546 26.2 20.8 43.2
2014 734 32.6 22.5 38.8
2015 724 33.0 21.9 40.9
2016 720 32.0 22.5 46.3
2017 688 35.6 19.2 45.8
2018 678 31.1 21.7 43.4
2019 680 30.6 22.2 40.6
2020 649 30.8 21.0 34.1
2021 698 30.5 22.8 42.1
2022 698 32.2 21.6 46.6
2023 669 32.0 20.9 38.1
2024 643 29.0 22.1 42

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thomas Nelson High School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $334 (3.5%) $48 (0.5%) $383 (4.0%) $7,280 (76.2%) $1,887 (19.8%) $9,167 (96.0%) $9,549
2019 $117 (1.1%) $40 (0.4%) $257 (2.4%) $7,051 (66.3%) $2,010 (18.9%) $9,061 (85.2%) $10,638
2020 $164 (1.5%) $65 (0.6%) $229 (2.1%) $7,770 (70.0%) $1,912 (17.2%) $9,682 (87.3%) $11,094
2021 $315 (2.6%) $231 (1.9%) $546 (4.5%) $7,766 (64.4%) $2,497 (20.7%) $10,263 (85.2%) $12,051
2022 $382 (3.4%) $264 (2.4%) $646 (5.8%) $7,677 (69.1%) $2,626 (23.6%) $10,303 (92.7%) $11,115

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Nelson High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 61st of 285 High schoolsRanks 176th of 276 High schools
 42.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English (Thomas Nelson High School)57.539
 18.5%
   11th Grade English (Nelson County)49.942
 7.9%
   11th Grade English (Kentucky)49.147
 2.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Nelson High School)45.122
 23.1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Nelson County)38.520
 18.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kentucky)36.433
 3.4%
11th Grade Reading (Thomas Nelson High School)53.634
 19.6%
   11th Grade Reading (Nelson County)46.940
 6.9%
   11th Grade Reading (Kentucky)4644
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students680669
 1.6%
African American910
 11.1%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian84
 50%
Hispanic1222
 83.3%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White640628
 1.9%
Two or More Races95
 44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients40.6%38.1%
 2.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Nelson High School

Thomas Nelson High School ranks 179th of 290 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Thomas Nelson High School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Thomas Nelson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Boston School
Elementary : The New Haven School
Middle : Old Kentucky Home Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 643 students attended Thomas Nelson High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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