Barbourville Independent

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.

Barbourville, Kentucky - 2 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Barbourville Independent #154 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,723 per pupil, Barbourville Independent ranks #170 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

692
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$11,723
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Barbourville Independent operates 2 public schools serving 692 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Knox County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,723 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 18 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kentucky compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 15.4% local, 60.9% state, and 23.6% 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 26/100, ranked #154 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 377.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Barbourville City School, enrolling 755 students (100% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Barbourville Learning Center, at 2 students, a 378x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Barbourville City School accounts for 99.7% of all Barbourville Independent student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Barbourville Independent a distant remainder — means Barbourville Independent-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Barbourville Independent reports 69.6% 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

Barbourville Independent student-counselor ratio is 378:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Barbourville Independent chronic absenteeism rate is 30.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

23.6%
Federal
60.9%
State
15.4%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
154 / 171
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Barbourville Independent.

White 97.4%
African American 1.2%
Multiracial 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
377.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Barbourville Independent

School Enrollment
Barbourville City School
755
Barbourville Learning Center
2

How Barbourville Independent Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hickman County Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Caverna Independent Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Model Laboratory Schools at Eku Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Fulton County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Bellevue Independent Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Barbourville Independent'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 Barbourville Independent →
Fayette County
41,422 students · 80 schools · $18,318/pupil
Compare vs Barbourville Independent →
Boone County
20,200 students · 28 schools · $13,925/pupil
Compare vs Barbourville Independent →
Warren County
17,799 students · 34 schools · $12,051/pupil
Compare vs Barbourville Independent →
Hardin County
14,675 students · 26 schools · $13,734/pupil
Compare vs Barbourville Independent →

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 Barbourville Independent

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 Barbourville Independent?

Barbourville Independent has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 692 students.

How much does Barbourville Independent spend per student?

Barbourville Independent spends $11,723 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #154 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Barbourville Independent?

Barbourville Independent students are 97.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Barbourville Independent?

Barbourville Independent has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #154 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.