Public schools in Lexington, KY
80 open public schools with an address in Lexington, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
80
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
42,175
79 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
12.8:1
Kentucky median 15:1
Charter schools
0
11 magnet · 1 virtual
An overview of Lexington public schools
The federal directory lists 80 public schools in Lexington, KY: 41 elementary, 13 middle, 20 high, 6 combined or other. The 79 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 42,175 students, an average of 534 per school. The largest campus is Lafayette High School (2,370 students), and the largest elementary school is Sandersville Elementary (765).
Fayette County operates the most schools here (79), and 2 regular districts have at least one Lexington campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 12.8:1, lower than the statewide school median of 15:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 11 magnet schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 16 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 9 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 8 of 16 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 50% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Lexington
Elementary schools in Lexington
41| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 322 | 11.1:1 | |
| Ashland Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 316 | 12.4:1 | |
| Athens-Chilesburg Elementary Fayette County | KG–05 | 620 | 15.1:1 | |
| Booker T Washington Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 377 | 13.5:1 | |
| Breckinridge Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 576 | 11.6:1 | |
| Brenda Cowan Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 586 | 13.5:1 | |
| Cardinal Valley Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 643 | 12.1:1 | |
| Cassidy Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 632 | 14.3:1 | |
| Clays Mill Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 527 | 13.5:1 | |
| Coventry Oak Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 755 | 13.7:1 | |
| Deep Springs Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 521 | 11.8:1 | |
| Dixie Elementary Magnet School Fayette County · Magnet | PK–05 | 584 | 14.4:1 | |
| Garden Springs Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 418 | 11.9:1 | |
| Garrett Morgan Elementary Fayette County | KG–05 | 746 | 14.6:1 | |
| George Washington Carver STEM Academy Fayette County · Magnet · Alternative School | KG–05 | 158 | 8:1 | |
| Glendover Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 482 | 12.4:1 | |
| Harrison Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 207 | 8.2:1 | |
| Homebound Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 2 | 0.1:1 | |
| James Lane Allen Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 429 | 11.1:1 | |
| Julius Marks Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 444 | 13.1:1 | |
| Lansdowne Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 610 | 13:1 | |
| Liberty Elementary Fayette County | KG–05 | 721 | 14.3:1 | |
| Mary Todd Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 405 | 11.8:1 | |
| Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elem School Fayette County · Magnet | KG–05 | 567 | 15.4:1 | |
| Meadowthorpe Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 517 | 12.7:1 | |
| Millcreek Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 529 | 12:1 | |
| Northern Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 424 | 11.5:1 | |
| Picadome Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 434 | 11.8:1 | |
| Ridge Hospital Alt. Elementary Fayette County | KG–05 | 1 | 0.2:1 | |
| Rise STEM Academy for Girls Fayette County · Magnet · Alternative School | KG–08 | 223 | 9.6:1 | |
| Rosa Parks Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 681 | 15.3:1 | |
| Russell Cave Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 294 | 11.4:1 | |
| Sandersville Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 765 | 13.6:1 | |
| Southern Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 476 | 12.1:1 | |
| Squires Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 447 | 13.2:1 | |
| Stonewall Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 674 | 14.8:1 | |
| Tates Creek Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 626 | 12.7:1 | |
| Veterans Park Elementary School Fayette County | KG–05 | 702 | 15.5:1 | |
| Wellington Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 608 | 14.3:1 | |
| William Wells Brown Elementary Fayette County | PK–05 | 300 | 11.7:1 | |
| Yates Elementary School Fayette County | PK–05 | 438 | 12.8:1 |
Middle schools in Lexington
13| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 743 | 14.8:1 | |
| Bryan Station Middle School Fayette County · Magnet | 06–08 | 744 | 13.4:1 | |
| Crawford Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 710 | 12.4:1 | |
| Edythe Jones Hayes Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 1,125 | 15:1 | |
| Jessie M Clark Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 1,002 | 16.5:1 | |
| Leestown Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 1,084 | 14.5:1 | |
| Lexington Middle School Fayette County · Magnet | 06–08 | 284 | 8.5:1 | |
| Mary E. Britton Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | — | — | |
| Morton Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 604 | 14.3:1 | |
| Scapa At Bluegrass Fayette County | 04–08 | 300 | 10.4:1 | |
| Southern Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 759 | 13.6:1 | |
| Tates Creek Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 767 | 13.5:1 | |
| Winburn Middle School Fayette County | 06–08 | 768 | 13:1 |
High schools in Lexington
20| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audrey Grevious Center Fayette County · Alternative School | 06–12 | 21 | 4.2:1 | |
| Bryan Station High School Fayette County · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,030 | 17.3:1 | |
| Carter G. Woodson Academy Fayette County · Magnet · Alternative School | 06–12 | 316 | 12.8:1 | |
| Family Care Center Fayette County · Alternative School | 09–12 | 22 | 7.3:1 | |
| Frederick Douglass High School Fayette County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,770 | 18:1 | |
| Future Forward Education & Career Center Franklin County · Virtual · Alternative School | 06–12 | 37 | 7.4:1 | |
| Henry Clay High School Fayette County | 09–12 | 1,939 | 16.4:1 | |
| Homebound Secondary Fayette County | 06–12 | 6 | 6:1 | |
| Lafayette High School Fayette County | 09–12 | 2,370 | 18.8:1 | |
| Locust Trace AgriScience Center Fayette County · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Academy Fayette County · Alternative School | 06–12 | 164 | 6.3:1 | |
| Opportunity Middle College Fayette County · Alternative School | 11–12 | 102 | 23.2:1 | |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Fayette County | 09–12 | 1,828 | 17.7:1 | |
| Ridge Hospital Alt. High School Fayette County | 06–12 | 11 | 11:1 | |
| STEAM Academy Fayette County · Magnet · Alternative School | 09–12 | 453 | 21:1 | |
| Success Academy Fayette County · Alternative School | 06–12 | 401 | 19.4:1 | |
| Tates Creek High School Fayette County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,723 | 17.5:1 | |
| The Hub for Innovation and Leadership Fayette County · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| The Learning Center Fayette County · Alternative School | 08–12 | 191 | 7.5:1 | |
| The Stables Fayette County · Alternative School | 08–12 | 33 | 7.9:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Lexington
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn Education Center Fayette County · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — | |
| Central Ky Technical College Fayette County · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — | |
| Fayette County Preschool Center Fayette County | PK–PK | 41 | 3.4:1 | |
| Fayette Pre-School Fayette County | PK–PK | 37 | 37:1 | |
| Kentucky TECH - Central Campus Fayette County · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — | |
| UK Early Childhood Lab Fayette County | PK–PK | 3 | 3:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White41.6%
- Hispanic22.2%
- Black23.5%
- Asian5.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial7%
Enrollment-weighted across 74 Lexington schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (42,175 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Lexington
How many public schools are in Lexington, KY?
The current NCES directory lists 80 open public schools with a location address in Lexington: 41 elementary, 13 middle, 20 high, 6 combined or other. Together they reported 42,175 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Lexington?
Schools with an address in Lexington belong to 2 education agencies, led by Fayette County (79 schools), Franklin County (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Lexington?
Lafayette High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Lexington, with 2,370 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Lexington?
No school with an address in Lexington is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Kentucky.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Lexington schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Lexington public schools is 12.8:1, lower than the Kentucky school median of 15:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Lexington guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Kentucky cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Kentucky cities