Free and Reduced Lunch in High Schools

The number of students in JCPS comprehensive high schools receiving Free or Reduced Lunch increased every school year from 2005-2006 (43.7%) to 2012-2013 (54.0%).

  • Of the 26,575 high school students enrolled in JCPS comprehensive high schools 2012-12, 16,742 qualify for Free and Reduced Lunches.
  • The District total for these high schools was 43.7% (2005-06), 44.6% (2006-07), 46.4% (2007-08), 47.0% (2008-09), 50.9% (2009-10), 52.2% (2010-11), 52.9% (2011-12), 54% (2012-13).
  • Only one high school (Atherton) experienced a decrease (-9.9%) in the percentage of students qualifying.
  • The highest percent increase was at Seneca (28% increase from 05-06 to 12-13).
  • The comprehensive schools with the highest percentage of qualifying students in 2012-12 were Central (83.1%), Iroquois (87.0%), The Academy @ Shawnee (81.1%), Western (80.5%), and Valley Traditional (77.4%).

These data do not include all public high schools in this district or non-public schools.

Source: Jefferson County Public Schools Data Book

Homeless High School Students

1,774 high school students are homeless, according to a JCPS report (2011-12)

The number includes only students attending JCPS comprehensive schools at the beginning of the school year and is self-reported.

Included in this number are youth who are sharing the housing of others including relatives and friends due to a loss of housing, economic hardships, or other similar reasons. This group includes youth temporarily placed by CFC or who are unaccompanied youth living in emergency runaway shelters, public or private nighttime shelters, special care facilities, spouse abuse centers, hotels or motels, and uninhabitable places such as cars, camping grounds or parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or bus and train stations. Highly migratory children.

Source: Jefferson County Public Schools Data Book

High School Non-Completers by Race/Ethnicity

Percentage of 16 to 24 years who have not completed high school and are not in school varies by race/ethnicity. People of color are more than two times as likely to be a “non-completer”.

high school non-completers by race 1980 to 2010

The data also show the percentage of white 16 to 24 year olds who are non-completers has decreased since 1980 while the percentage of people of color 16 to 24 who are non-completers has increased in the same time period.

Source: Open Places Initiative: Equity Indicators for the Louisville Region; USC Program for environmental and regional equity, 2013

16 to 24 year olds Not Working or In School

An estimated 19,168 youth and young adults are not in school and not working in the Louisville Region.

Disconnected youth by race, 1980 - 2010

While this number is lower than in 1980, the total number of “disconnected” youth have been rising and becoming more diverse since 1990.

Source: Open Places Initiative: Equity Indicators for the Louisville Region; USC Program for environmental and regional equity, 2013

Barriers of Homeless Youth

The 1,075 youth (12 to 17 yrs) served by Safe Place Shelter House in 2013 face significant barriers:

  • 44% physically abused;
  • 57% diagnosed disability or illness;
  • 70% report school problems (truancy, failing grades, suspensions);
  • 80% from families at/below poverty

Source: YMCA Safe Place

Births to Teen Mothers

In Jefferson County in 2008-2010, the rate of birth to teens was 45.4 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19.

In Kentucky in 2010, teens had a birth rate of 46 per 1,000 females ages 15-19  compared to the national rate of 34 per 1,000.

The rate of birth to teens varies widely by Metro Council District. During the 2008-2010 time frame, Metro Council District 16 had the lowest rate at 6.6 teen births per 1,000,while rates in districts 4 and 5 fell between 95-97 teen births per 1,000 females ages 15-19.

The total number of births to females ages 15 to 19 years from 2008 to 2010 was 3,165.  573 were subsequent births to teenage mothers.

Source: Jefferson County Kids Count Data Book Kentucky Youth Advocates, 2012

JCPS Data on Student Progress

Jefferson County Public Schools posts info on student progress online.

The Kentucky Department of Education Unbridled Learning model holds districts accountable for five primary areas:

  • Achievement – based on student scores on state tests;
  • Gap – based on the scores of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, receive special education services, are learning English as a second language or whose race is identified as African-American, Hispanic or Native American;
  • Growth – compares individual student performance from year to year;
  • College/Career Readiness – based on college readiness exams, career aptitude tests and the number of students who earn technical certificates;
  • Graduation Rate – based on the number of students who graduate within four years.

Check these resources for more information:

JCPS Data Books

JCPS Summary of 2014 Accountability Data

Kentucky State Department of Education – Data Portal for all Schools and Districts

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