Cochran Elementary

A Seneca Zone resides elementary in Old Louisville serving grades K–5.

Home of the Cats · Title I and CSI school · Four C’s and Leader in Me

Grades: K–5
How to get in: Resides school or Seneca Zone placement
School day: 9:40 a.m.–4:20 p.m.

Cochran is a Seneca Zone neighborhood elementary and is not a Traditional magnet. The Old Louisville campus has a Deaf and Hard of Hearing program, a 9:40 a.m. start and CSI status.

Old Louisville · 40208 · Near UofL

Official starting points

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

What this school is

Cochran Elementary is a K–5 resides school in the Seneca Zone. If JCPS School Finder assigns your address to Cochran, it is your resides elementary.

The school name dates to 1900. The current building on West Gaulbert Avenue opened in 1991 and was named for Gavin H. Cochran.

Published programs and activities include three self-contained Deaf and Hard of Hearing units, ASL, STEM, UofL partnerships, Primary Talent Pool, Advance Program, Student Council, Safety Patrol, band, orchestra, basketball, soccer, Girls on the Run and Men of Quality. Programs and staffing can change, so confirm current offerings with the school.

School leadership

Melissa Cheatham

Melissa Cheatham is listed as principal in the 2025–26 Individual School Data Book and on live school pages.

Confirm the current assistant principal, Family Resource Center contact and other staff with the school office because assignments may change.

School details

Address: 500 West Gaulbert Avenue, Louisville, KY 40208
Phone: (502) 485-8230
Official JCPS site: Official Cochran Elementary site(opens in a new tab)

Grades K–5
School hours: 9:40 a.m.–4:20 p.m.
Seneca Zone resides school
Title I: Yes
KDE status: Comprehensive Support and Improvement

How families get in

For most families, Cochran is the elementary school tied to a home address. Use the current JCPS School Finder result to determine whether it is your resides school or a Seneca Zone option.

Students entering kindergarten or new to JCPS register first.
If Cochran is the resides school and the student is staying there, no magnet application is required.
Families seeking another Seneca Zone school, a magnet or another option must follow the JCPS application process.
The published application window for 2027–28 is November 2 through December 18, 2026.
Zone placement may consider space, siblings and other published district factors.

Transportation

Resides students are in the regular elementary transportation system.
Complete the Transportation Verification form and confirm the actual stop.
Eligibility rules can change. Transportation for homeless students, DHH students and some students with IEPs follows separate processes.
A magnet placement at another school does not automatically preserve a Cochran bus.

Use current JCPS information when it differs from this guide. Placement and transportation are not guaranteed by this profile.

Who it tends to fit

A good match when

Cochran is the resides school and you want the most direct assignment process.
A 9:40 a.m. start works for your household.
You want an Old Louisville campus near UofL.
You are considering the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program housed on this campus.
Family Resource Center or wrap-around support may be part of your plan.

Think twice when

You need a 7:30 a.m. elementary schedule.
You want a Traditional magnet with a uniform culture.
You want a districtwide theme magnet.
You are choosing mainly by KSA rankings; Cochran has CSI status and low reported proficiency bands.
You are assuming a future middle or high school assignment without checking School Finder.

School assignment, programming, staffing and transportation can change. Confirm current details with JCPS and the school office.

Students

The October 1, 2025 race and gender file listed 419 students. Counts can shift after the first month, so use the date attached to each figure.

Diversity index

56%

This is the chance that two randomly selected students were from different reported groups in the October 1, 2025 file. It describes the reported mix and is not a school grade.

Reported race and ethnicity counts for Cochran Elementary
Group	Students	Share
Black / African American	260	62%
White	89	21%
Other, including two or more races and Asian	41	10%
Hispanic / Latino	29	7%

Gender: 199 female students and 220 male students Reported in the October 1, 2025 race and gender file.

Economically disadvantaged: 83.1% in the 2025–26 free and reduced-price lunch trend file.
Exceptional Child Education: about 18%, based on 79 of 429 students in the December 1, 2024 file.
Capacity snapshot: 419 of 476, or about 88%.
Title I: Yes.
CSI status: Yes.

Academics

KDE classifies Cochran as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement school. Review the current Kentucky School Report Card and ask the school about recent growth, classroom instruction and student support.

Reading: 14% proficient and 8% distinguished, for a combined 22% proficient or distinguished.
Math: about 19% proficient or distinguished in the cited 2024–25 KSA extract.
The guide describes both reported subject results as well below the JCPS elementary averages in the cited table and below the state.
Ask how students in the three self-contained DHH units participate in general education classes.
Ask who currently teaches multilingual learners.
Leader in Me, the Four C’s and the House System are published parts of the school culture, but they do not replace a review of academic results.

Awards and recognition

Location and daily life

The campus is on West Gaulbert Avenue in Old Louisville.

It is near UofL and duPont Manual.

The 9:40 a.m. start and 4:20 p.m. dismissal make after-school care an important planning question.

The school does not use a Traditional magnet uniform. Ask for the current dress-code handout.

Recent news, in context

A February 2026 Cognia review noted that referrals fell from 961 in 2024–25 to 373 year to date.

The Ron Clark Academy House System was in its first year at Cochran during 2025–26.

Cochran was not on the March 2026 list of elementary schools losing preschool classrooms. Current preschool placement remains a separate JCPS early-childhood process.

Compare before you commit

Other Seneca Zone elementariesWhitney Young Elementary at Engelhard, Goldsmith, McFerran, Klondike and Indian Trail are also listed in the Seneca Zone. Availability depends on current JCPS rules and space.
Cochrane ElementaryThis is a different school in Jeffersontown with a 7:30 a.m. start. Do not confuse it with Cochran Elementary.
Carter TraditionalThis is a Traditional magnet with uniforms and a different admissions process. A magnet bus should not be assumed.
Seneca High clusterThe data book associates Cochran with the Seneca High cluster. Confirm the assigned middle and high schools for your address in School Finder.

Questions to ask on a tour

1.Is Cochran my resides school, or is it a Seneca Zone option I must rank?
2.What does a third-grade reading block look like, including the number of minutes?
3.How are students in the three self-contained DHH units scheduled into general education classes on a typical Tuesday?
4.What after-school care is available for the 9:40 a.m.–4:20 p.m. schedule?
5.How long is the Gaulbert Avenue car line around 9:20 a.m.?
6.How does the House System appear during a regular school day?
7.Which middle and high schools does my address currently feed?
8.If Cochran is full, which Seneca Zone campus would be considered next?

What to do next

1.Run JCPS School Finder for the exact home address. Record the resides elementary, zone, middle school and high school.
2.Register first if the child is new to JCPS or entering kindergarten.
3.If Cochran is the resides school and the student is staying there, complete registration and transportation verification.
4.Visit during the morning arrival period to understand the 9:40 a.m. schedule and car line.
5.For a different school, follow the JCPS application process. The published 2027–28 window is November 2 through December 18, 2026.
6.Ask the school office who currently runs the Family Resource Center.