Kentucky releases statewide school report card; FCPS shows strong gains and rising performance

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Kentucky Department of Education has released its annual statewide school report card, detailing assessment and accountability results for all districts, including Fayette County Public Schools.

FCPS Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins says the district is outperforming state averages and showing strong improvement across several key areas.

The KDE report card is based on statewide standardized tests for reading, math, science, social studies and writing. The new results show FCPS had strong performance in multiple categories this year.

“Fayette County Public Schools is a district on the rise and students are achieving at a level our community can be proud of,” Liggins said.

KDE uses a color-coded system to rank performance, with red representing the lowest level, followed by orange, yellow, green and blue as the highest. According to Liggins, for the 2024–2025 school year, FCPS elementary and high schools ranked overall in the yellow category, while middle schools earned a green rating.

“Our students are far more than their test scores. They bring creativity, resilience, leadership, kindness, ideas and brilliance that no standardized test can ever fully capture,” Liggins said.

He added that while students’ abilities extend beyond testing, the district understands these scores remain one of the primary ways the community, state and nation measure FCPS performance.

Liggins also highlighted major improvements in graduation rates. The district’s four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2025 reached an all-time high at 92.4%, with a 94.1% five-year graduation rate, which he noted is “the highest in modern FCPS history.”

Post-secondary readiness also increased significantly. FCPS climbed from 77.5% to 82.2%, showing more students are graduating prepared for life after high school.

“A significant jump that means our students are leaving FCPS prepared for college, careers, the military and life,” Liggins said.

Liggins emphasized that while the district is proud of the progress, they are not finished. He said this year’s gains mark “only the beginning.”