West End School celebrates with grand opening as it welcomes girls for the 1st time

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For the first time in its 20-year history, the West End School is welcoming girls.

The West End School is a tuition-free school in Louisville's Chickasaw neighborhood. The school for pre-K through 8th grade students has taught only boys for the past 20 years, providing a safe environment for low-income students to get a private-school education.

The expansion for girls opened Aug. 7 for the first day of classes, but a grand opening was held Aug. 14.

Those attending Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony included Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

"I've always said that the most sacred responsibility for us as adults, and for our commonwealth, is to care for and support Kentucky's children, to give them every resource and every opportunity to succeed," Beshear said. "The new West End girls program is going to accomplish just that."

For the 2025-26 school year, there will be about 15 female students in each grade. Once the girls' classes for each grade are added, WES will have 300 students, divided between girls and boys.

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