Top 10 Best Nelson County Public Schools (2025)

For the 2025 school year, there are 19 public schools serving 7,107 students in Nelson County, KY (there are 10 private schools, serving 1,393 private students). 84% of all K-12 students in Nelson County, KY are educated in public schools (compared to the KY state average of 90%).
The top ranked public schools in Nelson County, KY are Bardstown High School, Bardstown Middle School and Bardstown Elementary School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking.
Nelson County, KY public schools have an average math proficiency score of 30% (versus the Kentucky public school average of 38%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 45% statewide average). Schools in Nelson County have an average ranking of 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of Kentucky public schools.
Minority enrollment is 19% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Black), which is less than the Kentucky public school average of 28% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Best Public Schools in Nelson County (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Bardstown High School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
400 N 5th St
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8802
Grades: 9-12
| 670 students
Rank: #22.
Bardstown Middle School
(Math: 41% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
410 N 5th St
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8803
Grades: 6-8
| 557 students
Rank: #33.
Bardstown Elementary School
(Math: 39% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1345 Templin Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8801
Grades: 2-5
| 841 students
Rank: #44.
Boston School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
130 Wilson Creek Rd
Boston, KY 40107
(502) 833-4644
Grades: K-8
| 346 students
Rank: #55.
Bloomfield Middle School
(Math: 32% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
96 Arnold Ln
Bloomfield, KY 40008
(502) 349-7201
Grades: 6-8
| 305 students
Rank: #66.
Nelson County High School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1070 Bloomfield Rd
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7010
Grades: 9-12
| 783 students
Rank: #77.
Coxs Creek Elementary School
(Math: 28% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
5635 Louisville Rd
Coxs Creek, KY 40013
(502) 349-7050
Grades: K-5
| 478 students
Rank: #88.
Thomas Nelson High School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
150 Generals Blvd
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-4650
Grades: 9-12
| 643 students
Rank: #99.
Bloomfield Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
360 Arnold Lane
Bloomfield, KY 40008
(502) 349-7211
Grades: K-5
| 230 students
Rank: #1010.
Old Kentucky Home Middle School
(Math: 20% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
301 Wildcat Ln
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7040
Grades: 6-8
| 391 students
Rank: #11 - 1211. - 12.
The Academy At Horizons
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
304 Wildcat Lane
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7045
Grades: K-12
| 52 students
Rank: #11 - 1211. - 12.
Bardstown Alternative School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1345 Templin Av
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8829
Grades: K-12
| 37 students
Rank: #1313.
Foster Heights Elementary School
(Math: 11% | Reading: 21%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
211 E Muir Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7030
Grades: K-5
| 624 students
Rank: #1414.
The New Haven School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 18%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
489 High St
New Haven, KY 40051
(502) 349-7232
Grades: K-8
| 322 students
Rank: n/an/a
980 Templin Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8804
Grades: PK
| 267 students
Rank: n/an/a
1000 Templin Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 331-8810
Grades: K-1
| 406 students
Rank: n/an/a
Heartland Youth Village
Alternative School
1013 Granite Drive
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 849-3440
Grades: 6-12
| n/a students
Rank: n/an/a
1200 Cardinal Dr
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 350-3914
Grades: PK
| 155 students
Rank: n/an/a
The Up Center
Vocational School
1060 Bloomfield Rd.
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-9096
Grades: 6-12
| n/a students
[+] Show Closed Public Schools in Nelson County, KY

Nelson County Public Schools (Closed)

School
Location
Grades
Students
304 Wildcat Lane
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7045
Grades: 9-12
| n/a students
100 Broadway
Chaplin, KY 40012
(502) 349-7220
Grades: PK-5
| 133 students
1060 Bloomfield Road
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-9096
Grades: 8-12
| n/a students
219 E Muir Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 349-7220
Grades: 4-5
| 231 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top ranked public schools in Nelson County, KY?
The top ranked public schools in Nelson County, KY include Bardstown High School, Bardstown Middle School and Bardstown Elementary School.
How many public schools are located in Nelson County?
19 public schools are located in Nelson County.
What percentage of students in Nelson County go to public school?
84% of all K-12 students in Nelson County are educated in public schools (compared to the KY state average of 90%).
What is the racial composition of students in Nelson County?
Nelson County public schools minority enrollment is 19% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Black), which is less than the Kentucky public schools average of 28% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Which public schools in Nelson County are often viewed compared to one another?

Recent Articles

Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.