Carlisle 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Bardwell, Kentucky - 3 schools

An equity score of 54/100 ranks Carlisle County #76 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,823 per pupil, Carlisle County ranks #84 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

759
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,823
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Carlisle County operates 3 public schools serving 759 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Carlisle County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,823 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kentucky compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.1% local, 59.3% state, and 18.6% 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 54/100, ranked #76 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.

a 246:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 17.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.1% White, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Carlisle County Elementary School, with a diversity index of 26.3/100.

Its largest campus is Carlisle County Elementary School, enrolling 395 students (54% of the district's total enrollment).

Carlisle County Elementary School accounts for 52.0% of all Carlisle County student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Carlisle County a distant remainder — means Carlisle County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Carlisle County school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities

Carlisle County school enrollment ranges from 159 students (lowest) to 395 students (highest), a spread of 236 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Carlisle County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Carlisle County student-counselor ratio is 246:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Carlisle County chronic absenteeism rate is 17.4% — 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 Carlisle County is typically wider than the Carlisle County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

18.6%
Federal
59.3%
State
22.1%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
76 / 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 3 schools in Carlisle County.

White 88.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 3.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 21.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Carlisle County Elementary School 26.3
  2. 2 Carlisle County High School 26.3
  3. 3 Carlisle County Middle School 11.9

Programs & Resources

246:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Carlisle County

School Enrollment
Carlisle County Elementary School
395
Carlisle County High School
184
Carlisle County Middle School
159

How Carlisle County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Paris Independent Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Paintsville Independent Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Model Laboratory Schools at Eku Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Owsley County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Hickman County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Carlisle 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 · $17,376/pupil
Compare vs Carlisle County →
Fayette County
41,422 students · 80 schools · $15,849/pupil
Compare vs Carlisle County →
Boone County
20,200 students · 28 schools · $12,899/pupil
Compare vs Carlisle County →
Warren County
17,799 students · 34 schools · $11,423/pupil
Compare vs Carlisle County →
Hardin County
14,675 students · 26 schools · $11,904/pupil
Compare vs Carlisle County →

Compare Carlisle 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 Carlisle County?

Carlisle County has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 759 students.

How much does Carlisle County spend per student?

Carlisle County spends $12,823 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #76 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Carlisle County?

Carlisle County students are 88.1% White, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Carlisle County?

Carlisle County has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #76 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.