Letcher County Public Schools
Listed by NCES as Letcher County (district ID 2103360)
Public school district · Letcher County · Kentucky · NCES district ID 2103360
Letcher County Public Schools spent $20,652 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 99% of the other Kentucky districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,912). Its 9 schools enrolled 2,429 students in 2024-25; 70.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,910 per student, down 3.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (Kentucky: 91.4%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Kentucky districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Letcher County Public Schools in enrollment (2,490 to 2,723 students) and Letcher County Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$59,741,000 in revenue: 70.8% state, 12.9% local and 16.4% federal. Total spending including $4,533,000 of capital outlay was $59,973,000, or $23,102 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$42,269,000 71%
- Local$7,689,000 13%
- Federal$9,783,000 16%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 137 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,596 students in 2022-23, 2,467 students in 2023-24, 2,429 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,596 | 205.6 | 12.6 |
| 2023-24 | 2,467 | 190.6 | 12.9 |
| 2024-25 | 2,429 | 167.6 | 14.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$11,237,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,329 per student
Letcher County Public Schools booked $11,237,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 206 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $54,655 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 36 in 100 Kentucky districts with a figure (state median $56,497, 171 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kentucky teacher salary at $54,574 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $8,417,000 | 74.9% |
| Special education | $2,721,000 | 24.2% |
| Other programs | $99,000 | 0.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,549 in 2018-19, $3,538 in 2019-20, $3,592 in 2020-21, $4,037 in 2021-22, $4,329 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Letcher County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 30% in math, against 44.7% in reading and 37.8% in math across Kentucky. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Kentucky, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Kentucky | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 41% | 44.7% | 1,442 |
| Math | 30% | 37.8% | 1,441 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
90-94% of the 198 students in Letcher County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 91.4% across Kentucky. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Kentucky | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 90‑94% | 91.4% |
| Students in the class | 198 | 49,023 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
5 elementary schools, 1,413 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Whitesburg Elementary School | 462 | 13.8 | 64.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Letcher Elementary & Middle School | 322 | 15.3 | 73.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Martha Jane Potter Elementary School | 273 | 13.9 | 66.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Cowan Elementary School | 246 | 14.7 | 76.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Arlie Boggs Elementary School | 110 | 13.3 | 73.6% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 322 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitesburg Middle School | 191 | 17.2 | 62.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Fleming Neon Middle School | 131 | 14.7 | 55.7% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 694 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County Central High School | 692 | 15.2 | 59.5% | Eligible, no program |
| Letcher County Alternative Education Ctr | 2 | 0.7 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Letcher County Public Schools
- Website: letcher.kyschools.us
- Phone: (606) 633-4455
- Office: 224 Park St, Whitesburg, KY 41858
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Letcher County Public Schools
- Kentucky districts by spending per studentLetcher County Public Schools ranks 2 of 137 Kentucky districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($20,652).#2 of 137
- Every school district in KentuckyLetcher County Public Schools is the number 75 by size of 174 Kentucky districts, with 2,596 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#75 of 174
- Garrard County SchoolsThe next larger Kentucky district: 2,606 students in fall 2022, $13,804 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,804
- Glasgow Independent SchoolsThe next smaller Kentucky district: 2,490 students in fall 2022, $13,265 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,265
- Compare Letcher County Public Schools with Garrard County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Letcher County Central High School, its largest high school692 students in 2024-25, 15.2 per teacher.692
- Teacher salary spending across KentuckyLetcher County Public Schools spent $54,655 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $56,497); spending, not a salary.$54,655
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Letcher County Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Letcher County Public Schools?
9 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high), enrolling 2,429 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Letcher County Public Schools spend per student?
$20,652 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Kentucky median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,912 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,910 per student, down 3.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Letcher County Public Schools' money come from?
$59,741,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 70.8% state, 12.9% local and 16.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Letcher County Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 584 of the 2,842 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 20.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Letcher County Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$11,237,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,329 per student. Divided by the 206 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $54,655 per teacher, more than 36 in 100 Kentucky districts (state median $56,497). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kentucky teacher salary at $54,574 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Letcher County Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Letcher County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 30% in math, against 44.7% in reading and 37.8% in math across Kentucky. Kentucky's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Letcher County Public Schools?
90-94% of the 198 students in Letcher County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 91.4% across Kentucky. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Letcher County Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2103360. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25