There are more than 145 public schools in Louisville, Kentucky, servicing nearly 100,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) education. The primary public education provider is Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS).
Schools are typically categorized as elementary, middle or high schools, though some exceptions exist. J. Graham Brown School offers education for all grades in one school. Moore Traditional School is a combined middle and high school (formerly two separate schools). The Anchorage School is the sole school of AISD, educating for grades K-8.
Elementary schools
Public elementary schools provide education through fifth grade (approx. age 11, depending on the student). Some elementary schools offer pre-kindergarten programs.
Located on Cane Run Road. The school was originally housed in a log cabin, and may have had as many of seven different buildings. Present building constructed in 1972.
Located in the Fern Creek community. The earliest building directly related to the present school was constructed in 1911. There was first a log-cabin school was opened in area around 1792. That building, however, cannot be directly linked to the present-day school.
Located on Goldsmith Lane. Goldsmith is an International/Cultural Studies magnet. Southeast Christian Church, now one of the largest Protestant churches in the U.S., held its first service at the school in July 1962, and met there until it purchased its first property in October of that year.[8]
Greathouse/Shryock Traditional Elementary School
1980
Created with the merger of Greathouse Elementary (named for longtime teacher and principal Miss Tommie Greathouse) and Shryock Elementary (named for Gideon Shryock, architect).
Fred J. Hartstern, chief architect of the old Louisville Board of Education. He later created his own firm which designed over 45 school buildings including Ballard and Moore High Schools.
John Lowe (retired principal from Lyndon Elementary and Waggener High School).
Luhr Elementary School
1966
Mattie B. Luhr.
Maupin Elementary School
1985
Originally Parkland Elementary School, was renamed for Milburn Taylor Maupin, first African-American central office administrator in the Louisville Public Schools. He served as interim superintendent January–June 1975 and retired as deputy superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in 1978.
McFerran Preparatory Academy
1919
John B. McFerran, land company president who donated land for Jeffersontown Elementary.
Formed as result of merger between the Roosevelt School and Perry Elementary school in 1979. The original schools were named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Perry Sr. (principal of the Western Colored School 1891–1927), respectively.
Rutherford Elementary School
1951
Sally B. Rutherford.
St. Matthews Elementary School
1955
Located at 601 Browns Lane in the city of St. Matthews. St. Matthews current principal is Mr. Scott Collier.
Sanders Elementary School
1962
Provides specialized instrumental programs, including band, orchestra, and the Weisberg Suzuki Violin Program.
Schaffner Traditional School
1955
Named after Henry B. Schaffner, member of the Kentucky Board of Education.
The school was originally constructed by German immigrants. It was purchased by the Louisville Board of Education in 1868. The name (formerly Shelby Elementary) and mission of the school were changed in 2008.
Rosa Phillips Stonestreet, only female superintendent in the history of public education in Louisville's old City Board of Education.
Stopher Elementary School
2007
Joseph E. Stopher,[6] attorney and president of Gheens Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting education projects.[13]
Trunnell Elementary School
1967
Bertha Trunnell,[6] long time educator in Jefferson County's south end. Trunnell's dedication ceremony took place on October 19, 1967. The school was built on farmland purchased from Clem Wiser. The Wiser family had farmed the land for 150 years. It was first settled by Charles Wiser in the 1800s (decade).
Tully Elementary School
1978
Roberta B. Tully.
Located on College Drive in Jeffersontown, KY on the site of the original Jeffersontown Elementary.
Phillis Wheatley, former slave and poet (first African American woman to publish a book of poetry).
Wheeler Elementary School
1969
Virginia Wheeler.
Wilder Elementary School
1957
Ninde S. Wilder.
Wilkerson Elementary School
1956
Sylvia Wilkerson.
Wilt Elementary School
1967
Paxton Wilt: Wilt is named for Paxton M. Wilt, a Jefferson County Board of Education member and executive with the Brown and Williamson company.
Young Elementary School
1971
Whitney Moore Young Jr., social worker and civil rights leader, became executive director of the National Urban League in 1961 and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
Zachary Taylor Elementary School
1959
U.S. President Zachary Taylor, finished on November 9, 1959, located in Westport Road.
Middle schools
Middle schools provide education for grades 6–8, typically ages 11–14.
The only middle school in Kentucky with a piano laboratory/class elective. Crosby Middle was named for James ('Fessor) Crosby, longtime principal at Middletown Elementary (30+ years).
Farnsley Middle School
1998
School was built on historic land owned by David Farnsley (longtime mayor of Louisville). Math/Science/Technology (MST) magnet school.
Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North
1928
Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect who designed Louisville's major urban parks and system of urban parkways. Originally Southern Middle School, from its location in the southern section of pre-merger Louisville. Later renamed Southern Leadership Academy to reflect revised class organization of single-sex classes. Now an all-boys school.
Frederick Law Olmsted Academy South
1956
Frederick Law Olmsted. This facility was formerly Rubado Elementary School, Gottschalk Junior High School, and later Iroquois Middle School. Now an all-girls school.
Originally named Parkland Junior High School; renamed in 1981 in honor of Lyman T. Johnson, a civil rights leader, teacher at Central High School for 33 years, and former assistant principal at Parkland Junior High School. He was the principal plaintiff in the federal court case regarding Kentucky's racist Day Law, which had prevented desegregation of schools in Jefferson County. Served as Board Member 1978–1982.
Kammerer Middle School
1972
Margaret Kammerer, former music educator in the Jefferson County Public School system.
Kennedy Metro Middle School
1996
Alex R. Kennedy, previously Alex R. Kennedy Elementary School.
Knight Middle School
1973
Theron Turner Knight, a 42-year Jefferson County educator.[19]
Originally named Jackson Junior High, renamed in honor of Albert Ernest Meyzeek, civil rights activist and educator who served as the school's principal for a number of years. Was one of the founders of the Louisville Urban League, which he chaired for 29 years. He also served on the state Board of Education 1948–1956. MST magnet school.
Myers Middle School
1972
Mary P. Myers.
Newburg Middle School
Located in the Newburg neighborhood; MST magnet school.
Noe Middle School
1974
Samuel V. Noe, former Superintendent of the old Louisville Public School District.
Ramsey Middle School
2008
John L. Ramsey.
Stuart Middle School
1980 as a Middle School
Jesse Stuart, Kentucky poet and novelist. Previously Stuart High School (1972–1980).
J.M. Atherton High School for Girls (at a different location) was named after John McDougal Atherton, a local businessman and politician. He was instrumental in changing Louisville's school system administration from trustees to a Board of Education members.[23]
This school was originally called Central Colored High School. It was Louisville's first African American high school. Currently includes magnet programs in medical science, law and government, business, and computer technology.
The school was originally called duPont Manual Training High School, named for Alfred Victor duPont, a local entrepreneur. The main building housed Louisville Girls' High until it merged into Manual in 1950. Five separate magnet programs, each with its own admissions process—Communications/Media Arts, High School University, Math/Science/Technology, Visual Arts, and Youth Performing Arts.
A fire, in the 1940s, heavily damaged the gym and cafeteria. This fire plus the opening of Eastern High School in 1950 caused the high school to be closed. The original building (located on same lot as present-day Tully Elementary) was used as an elementary school until it was demolished in 1975. The school was re-established at its present location in 1966 following petition by residents of Jeffersontown.
The school was established in 1986 as an open-entry/open-exit program, allowing students to obtain a diploma through flexible scheduling. The school also operates JCPS's Independent Study Program and JCPS eSchool.[26]
Liberty High School
1997
The school opened in 1997 at the site of now closed Bruce Middle School. It serves as a non-traditional program for students needing an alternative educational environment, especially those who have encountered academic difficulties.
The school originally accepted only boys as students (a Louisville Female High School for girls became Louisville Girls' High School in 1911 and was merged into duPont Manual in 1950). In 1952, when Male became co-educational, the name was changed to Louisville Male and Girls' High School; it reverted to Male High School after protests by faculty, alumni, and students of both sexes. The school was moved in 1991, from downtown to the old campus of Durrett High School.
A component of Manual High, but with its own admissions process,[30] that offers extensive instruction in performing arts. Academic classes are offered through Manual.
Self-Directed Learning magnet school that offers K–12 education; the only JCPS school that has elementary, middle, and high school students in one building. Named after James Graham Brown, a local real estate developer, horse breeder, distiller, and philanthropist.
Marion C. Moore, an educator Jefferson County Public Schools and administrator at Fern Creek High School 1926–1967. Originally Moore High School, later Moore Traditional High School. Moore Traditional Middle School, formerly Bruce Middle School, was added to the complex in 1999. The school has since operated as a single entity with a single principal since the two schools combined in 2008.
The name was selected by the students, parents, and faculty of the school. It was changed in 2009. The school was formed as a result of No Child Left Behind.
^"Beginnings: 1962–1976". About Southeast: History. Southeast Christian Church. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
^"Frequently Asked Questions". duPont Manual High School. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2012. Although YPAS is technically a magnet component of Manual, YPAS has a separate application process.
