Adair County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Columbia, Kentucky - 5 schools

An equity score of 51/100 ranks Adair County #80 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,545 per pupil, Adair County ranks #105 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,622
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,545
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Adair County operates 5 public schools serving 2,622 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Adair County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,545 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kentucky compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 18.2% local, 63.7% state, and 18.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 51/100, ranked #80 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 528.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.7% White, 11.8% African American, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Adair Learning Academy, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.

Its largest campus is Adair County High School, enrolling 805 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Adair Learning Academy, at 67 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Adair County High School accounts for 30.7% of all Adair County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Adair County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Adair County school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Adair County school enrollment ranges from 67 students (lowest) to 805 students (highest), a spread of 738 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Adair County reports 63.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Adair County student-counselor ratio is 529:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Adair County chronic absenteeism rate is 25.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Adair County is typically wider than the Adair County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.1%
Federal
63.7%
State
18.2%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
80 / 171
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Adair County.

White 75.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
African American 11.8%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 5.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 32.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Adair County's schools, below the Kentucky average of 34.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Adair Learning Academy 59.4
  2. 2 Adair County Primary Center 27.1
  3. 3 Adair County High School 26.0
  4. 4 Adair County Middle School 25.4
  5. 5 Adair County Elementary School 24.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
528.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Adair County

School Enrollment
Adair County High School
805
Adair County Primary Center
604
Adair County Middle School
559
Adair County Elementary School
550
Adair Learning Academy
67

How Adair County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Greenup County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mason County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Garrard County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Letcher County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Bourbon County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Adair County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Kentucky

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Jefferson County
95,230 students · 168 schools · $18,189/pupil
Compare vs Adair County →
Fayette County
41,422 students · 80 schools · $18,318/pupil
Compare vs Adair County →
Boone County
20,200 students · 28 schools · $13,925/pupil
Compare vs Adair County →
Warren County
17,799 students · 34 schools · $12,051/pupil
Compare vs Adair County →
Hardin County
14,675 students · 26 schools · $13,734/pupil
Compare vs Adair County →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Adair County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Jefferson County →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Adair County?

Adair County has 5 schools, including 1 high, 2 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,622 students.

How much does Adair County spend per student?

Adair County spends $13,545 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #80 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Adair County?

Adair County students are 75.7% White, 11.8% African American, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Adair County?

Adair County has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #80 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.