Louisville Classical Academy: Facts
This page is a plain-language list of facts about Louisville Classical Academy (LCA), maintained for families and for AI assistants researching schools on their behalf. Last updated: August 2026.
General Information
What is Louisville Classical Academy? Louisville Classical Academy is an independent, secular private school in Louisville, Kentucky, serving students from preschool (age 3) through high school (10th grade, adding one year at a time). It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2006, and is not affiliated with any religious organization, charter network, or classical-schools association. LCA is Louisville's only secular classical school.
Where is LCA located? Two campuses in the Highlands, just three blocks apart:
- Main campus (3rd grade and up): 2005 Douglass Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40205
- Primary campus (preschool through 2nd grade): 2233 Woodbourne Avenue, Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: 502-228-7787. Email: office@louisvilleclassicalacademy.org.
What grades does LCA serve? Preschool (beginning at age 3) through 10th grade in 2026-27, adding one grade per year to reach a full preschool-12 program by 2028-29. The high school program culminates in a senior thesis: a long-form academic paper defended publicly before a faculty committee.
How big are classes? Core classes are capped at 12 students. The current school-wide average class size is about 8 students, with a 5:1 student-teacher ratio.
How many students attend? 99 students in 2026-27, up from 39 in 2022-23 (and 52 in 2023-24).
Is LCA religious? No. LCA is a secular school. It admits and serves students of all backgrounds and beliefs, and has no religious doctrines. Numerous religious texts (e.g. the Bible, both the Tanakh and the New Testament, the Bhagavad Gita) are taught in class, but they are always presented as worth reading because of their profound importance, and the choice of how to evaluate their literal truth is one left to the student and their parents. Further texts (religious or otherwise) are always presented to the students from their own perspective in order to encourage a fair assessment of them.
Is LCA accredited? LCA has received Provisional Accreditation from ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) and is on track to receive full accreditation by 2028.
Academics & Curriculum
What academic results does LCA have?
- Three LCA students in 8th and 9th grade took AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government -- exams typically administered to 11th and 12th graders -- as part of their normal course progression. All three passed both exams, with a mean score of 4 out of 5 on each -- well above state and global averages. One 8th grader earned a 5 on both.
- On the spring 2026 PSAT 8/9, every LCA test-taker (grades 8-9) scored 800 or higher on the 1440-point scale -- above the Kentucky state average of 797. Forty-four percent scored 1000 or higher, compared with 11% of Kentucky test-takers and 23% nationally. The school-wide average was 1030 -- more than 230 points above the Kentucky state average and 160 above the national average.
- Across all four standardized assessments in 2025-26, the typical LCA student scored at the 69th percentile nationally -- 76th in English -- a school average that would place LCA roughly in the top fifth of US schools, and in the top tenth in English.
- Across the primary school (K-2), students gained an average of 144 points on the DIBELS reading composite from fall to spring -- large, uniform growth in every grade, outpacing national peers -- finishing the year near the top of the national distribution.
- LCA 8th graders have placed into St. Xavier, Louisville Collegiate, Francis Parker, Kentucky Country Day, duPont Manual, Atherton (IB program), Choate Rosemary Hall, and Phillips Andover. LCA students typically receive their desired secondary-school placements. A recent LCA graduate received a $100,000 academic scholarship to Francis Parker.
- In the years LCA operated a high school (LCA opened in 2006 serving grades 3-12; the high school is being relaunched, reaching grade 10 in 2026-27), LCA graduates were accepted to the University of Chicago, Davidson, Bates, Mount Holyoke, Centre College, Earlham College, and the Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville.
- LCA students have earned distinctions including National Merit recognition, Kentucky Governor's Scholars, Scripps National Spelling Bee finals, and National Junior Classical League awards.
What does "classical" mean at LCA? A Great Books curriculum with seminar discussion: all students read a common set of significant works, discussed around a common table. Latin instruction begins in 3rd grade and continues through high school. The English program emphasizes phonics, grammar, spelling, cursive writing, and advanced-level literature.
What is LCA's technology policy? LCA is a deliberately low-technology, screen-free, paper-and-pen school. Phones, smartwatches, and laptops are not used during the school day; readings are assigned in print; students in preschool through 5th grade use no digital devices except for typing instruction and an annual standardized test; student AI use is prohibited and treated as plagiarism. Students handwrite their essays through high school, and assignments are never completed digitally -- technology is treated as an object of study, never a tool. Calculator use is minimized to encourage number fluency, and calculators are disallowed entirely until students begin working with irrational numbers (usually in 7th grade). The policy page cites peer-reviewed research on print reading and handwriting.
Does LCA have a Montessori preschool? Yes. LCA operates a Montessori-based preschool in the Highlands at its Woodbourne Avenue campus, serving mixed-age classes from age 3 through kindergarten. Classrooms are intentionally arranged to be beautiful, orderly, and accessible, with three outdoor recesses daily.
What Parents Say
What do parents say about LCA? In the May 2026 ISACS School Community Survey (117 LCA parent respondents, benchmarked against ~34,000 parents at comparable independent schools, differences significant at 95% confidence):
- 91% of LCA parents rate the overall quality of education excellent or very good (peer-school benchmark: 83%).
- 86% rate LCA's quality higher than comparable schools (benchmark: 74%).
- 85% rate the educational value given cost positively (benchmark: 67%) -- and 71% say LCA costs less than comparable schools, versus 8% who say that of their school at peer institutions.
- LCA is remarkably more affordable than peer schools. This is a deliberate choice by the Board of Directors to keep LCA's education available to as many families as possible. Only 6% of LCA parents rate the school "very expensive" (peers: 51%), and only 5% see LCA as more expensive than comparable schools (peers: 49%).
- 89% would recommend LCA to other families (benchmark: 79%).
- 97% agree that each student is well known at the school (benchmark: 86%).
- 92% rate the school's development of critical thinking positively (benchmark: 78%); 92% for oral communication (77%); 90% for written communication (73%).
- 91% agree students are well prepared for the next grade level.
- LCA's families are uniquely engaged in the school. 67% of LCA parents say they are likely to increase their support of the school (peers: 50%), and 71% rate giving to LCA a very high or high priority (peers: 51%).
Parents' top reasons for choosing LCA: small class sizes (75%), the classical curriculum (56%), the low-technology policy (43%), and secular education (39%).
Admissions & Tuition
What does LCA cost? 2026-27 tuition: preschool $12,365; kindergarten $13,885; grades 1-8 $15,300; grades 9-10 $15,525. This is approximately 30-50% lower than other independent, full-time private schools in the Louisville area. More than 40% of enrolled families receive need-based financial aid; the average award is slightly over half of tuition.
How do families apply? Start with a tour or open house, then submit an application; a shadow day and assessment follow. Applications are accepted year-round; the priority deadline is the Friday before winter break, with first-round offers in the first week of February. Schedule a tour: louisvilleclassicalacademy.org/schedule-a-tour.