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Hudson 6th Grade Academy

The sixth-grade campus of Dr. J. Blaine Hudson Middle in West Louisville

Grade 6 only · one campus of Hudson Middle · Upper Academy for grades 7–8 sits on Muhammad Ali Boulevard · Permanent campus planned at 18th and Broadway

  • Grades: 6th only
  • How to get in: Resides / Choice Zone
  • Opened: August 2023

This building is the sixth-grade academy of Dr. J. Blaine Hudson Middle — not a separate magnet. Seventh and eighth grade meet at the Upper Academy on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard, and JCPS is building a permanent campus at 18th Street and Broadway. It is a West End resides or close-to-home option, not Barret, not Meyzeek, and not Shawnee. JCPS Insider is not affiliated with Jefferson County Public Schools.

1107 South 17th Street · West Louisville · Kentucky

Official starting points

School Choice:(502) 485-6250schoolchoice@jefferson.kyschools.us

What this school is

Hudson opened in August 2023 in the former Wheatley Elementary at 1107 South 17th Street. Sixth grade meets here. Grades 7 and 8 meet at the Upper Academy, 3526 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard, reached at (502) 485-8187. JCPS is building Hudson's permanent campus at 18th Street and Broadway, and current district planning has the school coming together there during 2027–28. Construction timelines can change, so confirm the opening date with JCPS.

The school is named for Dr. J. Blaine Hudson — West End native, University of Louisville dean, and Black Student Union leader. That history is the name on the building, not a score. Hudson Middle is identified as CSI and in the bottom 5% statewide, and a KDE diagnostic review took place in the 2025–26 cycle.

Who runs the building

Dr. Jai Wilson

Dr. Jai Wilson was named principal of the Hudson 6th Grade Academy in May 2026. The school page previously listed Mark Mina, Ph.D., as interim. Jeronda Majors is listed as principal of the Upper Academy on Muhammad Ali Boulevard. Confirm names on the school site before you write a letter.

School details

Address
1107 South 17th Street, Louisville, KY 40210
  • Grade span at this campus: 6th only
  • Upper Academy (7–8): 3526 W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard · (502) 485-8187
  • Title I: Yes · CSI / bottom 5%
  • Opened August 2023 in the former Wheatley Elementary

How families get in

Hudson itself is not a magnet. If Hudson is the regular assigned middle school outside the Choice Zone, follow the normal resides enrollment process. If the student is an incoming sixth-grader inside the Choice Zone, an application is required to select the close-to-home or far-away option.

  • Run School Finder. Write down the resides middle school and whether you are in the Choice Zone.
  • If Hudson is the assigned middle outside the Choice Zone, register. Sixth grade reports to 17th Street.
  • Incoming sixth-grader in the Choice Zone: apply in the window to pick close-to-home or far-away.
  • Tour 17th Street during the academic day, then ask where seventh grade will sit next year.
  • If you do not want Hudson, apply for a magnet or Traditional magnet during the window.

Buses follow the resides rule

  • Students attending their resides middle school are in the regular transportation system.
  • Leaving Hudson for a magnet does not automatically keep the same bus. Confirm 2026–27 on the Transportation Verification form.

Official 2027–28 application window: November 2, 2026 through December 18, 2026.

Who it tends to fit

A good match when

  • School Finder assigns a West End sixth-grader here and you want the child closer to home.
  • You want a small sixth-grade-only building for the first year of middle school.
  • You are comfortable asking hard questions about instruction rather than waiting for a new building.

Think twice when

  • You need high published proficiency.
  • You want Traditional structure or a districtwide magnet theme.
  • You need one finished building for all three middle grades right now.

Students

The Oct. 1, 2025 grade file shows 207 sixth-graders at this campus, with 266 seventh and 221 eighth at the Upper Academy — 694 across Hudson Middle. Race shares below are the whole-school Hudson Middle row, not a sixth-grade-only cut. Choices still prints a combined 992 snapshot across both temporary buildings.

Diversity index

19%

Standard racial/ethnic diversity index for the whole Hudson Middle row. The index is low because 90% of students are Black. Student numbers are calculated from the published shares and the 694-student headcount, so treat them as close approximations.

Reported race and ethnicity counts for Hudson 6th Grade Academy
GroupStudentsShare
Black / African American62590%
White284%
Hispanic / Latino213%
Other / two or more races213%

Gender: Not broken out separately in the source file.

  • Sixth grade at 17th Street: 207
  • Whole school 694 · 207 / 266 / 221
  • Title I: Yes · CSI / bottom 5%
  • Choices snapshot 992 across both temporary buildings

Academics

Scores below are the official Hudson Middle row, grades 6–8 together. JCPS does not publish a separate sixth-academy accountability table.

  • Reading: 6% proficient, 1% distinguished — 7% official combined P+D.
  • The public math row for Hudson is suppressed, and the live school page lists math as N/A. Do not assume a math figure.
  • KDE's 2025–26 diagnostic review said sixth-grade reading P+D moved from 8% in 2023–24 to 7% in 2024–25.
  • Hudson is identified as CSI and in the bottom 5% statewide.
  • A new building and a new principal are not a reading score. Ask how a sixth-grader who arrives novice gets taught on 17th Street.

Awards and recognition

  • First new West Louisville middle school since 1932

    As described in the current Choices guide

  • Named for Dr. J. Blaine Hudson

    West End native, University of Louisville dean

Location and daily life

1107 South 17th Street, 40210 — the former Wheatley Elementary. This campus covers sixth grade only; the Upper Academy for grades 7–8 is at 3526 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

JCPS is building the permanent Hudson campus at 18th Street and Broadway, expected to bring the school together during 2027–28. Timelines can change, so ask the office what families are being told now.

Recent news, in context

May 2026: Dr. Jai Wilson was named principal of the Hudson 6th Grade Academy, following Mark Mina as interim.

Current district planning has the permanent 18th-and-Broadway campus opening for 2027–28. Earlier JCPS project language said August 2027.

Incoming sixth-graders who live in the Choice Zone must apply during the window to choose between close-to-home and far-away options.

Compare before you commit

Questions to ask on a tour

  1. 1.Is Hudson my resides middle — or a Choice Zone close-to-home pick?
  2. 2.Where does this sixth-grader sit in seventh grade — Muhammad Ali Boulevard or the new building?
  3. 3.How is reading taught when official combined P+D is 7%?
  4. 4.Math scores are suppressed. What does classroom math actually look like?
  5. 5.Who is the sixth-grade counselor I actually call?
  6. 6.How long is the 17th Street car line at arrival?
  7. 7.What did the KDE diagnostic review change on this campus?
  8. 8.If we do not want Hudson, what is the magnet deadline?
  9. 9.Is there a bus if we are not resides?
  10. 10.If we decline another seat, what is the deadline?

What to do next

  1. 1.Run your address in School Finder and note whether you are in the Choice Zone.
  2. 2.If Hudson is the assigned middle outside the Choice Zone, register.
  3. 3.If you are an incoming sixth-grade Choice Zone family, apply during the window.
  4. 4.Tour 17th Street and ask about the seventh-grade campus and the Broadway building.
  5. 5.Complete the Transportation Verification form if you need a bus.

Last checked: September 2026. When this page and JCPS disagree, use JCPS. JCPS Insider is not affiliated with Jefferson County Public Schools.