One of the most important decisions you can make as a parent is which school to send your child to. The choice of the proper elementary school will ensure that your child begins his educational career with a solid foundation. Although the best elementary school for your child will depend on his specific needs, you can begin by utilizing overall rankings to narrow down the field of schools.

In Kentucky, many counties only offer one or two elementary schools. This is because the population of the county the school is located in does not call for more elementary schools to be built. On the other hand, Jefferson County, the most populated county in the state, has 90 elementary schools. This does not mean that parents in counties with lower populations can not find a great elementary school, though.

The website www.schooldigger.com has ranked Kentucky’s 692 elementary schools based on mathematics and reading test results for the 2008-2009 school year. May Valley Elementary School, in Martin, KY (Floyd County) tops the list. May Valley also has a student to teacher ratio of only 15.6.

Coming in third, fifth, sixth, and eighth respectively are Rosa Parks Elementary, Veterans Park Elementary, Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary, and Sapa at Bluegrass. These schools are all located in Lexington, KY (Fayette County). SCAPA at Bluegrass is included in the list because it does offer the elementary grades four and five, but it does also have students in grades six through eight. The student to teacher ratios of these schools range from 13.3 to 18.1.

The rest of the top ten ranked elementary schools in Kentucky are all in different counties. Second place goes to Central Elementary in Paintsville (Johnson County). Moyer Elementary in Fort Thomas (Campbell County) is fourth. Greathouse/Shryock Elementary in Louisville (Jefferson County) is ranked seventh on the list. Number nine is East Heights Elementary in Henderson (Henderson County), and number ten is Ezel Elementary in Ezel (Morgan County).

The student to teacher ratios at the top ten elementary schools in Kentucky ranges from 13.2 to 18.4. This shows the importance of selecting an elementary school with a low student to teacher ratio. Elementary school students are not only learning the basics during these years, but also how to work independently. As this can be difficult for many children of this age, a low student to teacher ratio helps to ensure that the teacher is not spread too thin and can devote the necessary time to each of her students.

When comparing elementary schools, try to find the most current data possible. This is because a motivated faculty can turn a school’s performance around in just a year or two. Of the top ten schools listed on the School Digger website, three were not even ranked in the top ten last year.

Take the time to consider all the factors, including the school’s performance and any special needs or wants your child may have when choosing an elementary school. Doing so will ensure your child not only succeeds in elementary school, but enjoys going to school each and every day.