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

Frankfort, Kentucky - 4 schools

An equity score of 51/100 ranks Frankfort Independent #81 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,203 per pupil, Frankfort Independent ranks #32 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

972
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,203
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Frankfort Independent operates 4 public schools serving 972 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 1 elementary, 1 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 Franklin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,203 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 27.6% local, 48.0% state, and 24.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 51/100, ranked #81 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 224:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 33.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.6% White, 15.5% African American, 9.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Panther Transition Academy, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.

Its largest campus is Second Street School, enrolling 565 students (59% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Panther Transition Academy, at 17 students, a 33x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Second Street School accounts for 58.1% of all Frankfort Independent student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Frankfort Independent a distant remainder — means Frankfort Independent-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Frankfort Independent school enrollment varies 33× across entities

Frankfort Independent school enrollment ranges from 17 students (lowest) to 565 students (highest), a spread of 548 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Frankfort Independent has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.1% 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

Frankfort Independent student-counselor ratio is 224:1 — 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

Frankfort Independent chronic absenteeism rate is 33.3% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

24.4%
Federal
48.0%
State
27.6%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
81 / 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 4 schools in Frankfort Independent.

White 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
African American 15.5%
Multiracial 8.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 50.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Frankfort Independent's schools, above the Kentucky average of 34.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Panther Transition Academy 64.4
  2. 2 Second Street School 50.4
  3. 3 Frankfort Early Learning Academy 47.1
  4. 4 Frankfort High School 40.2

Programs & Resources

224:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Frankfort Independent

School Enrollment
Second Street School
565
Frankfort High School
331
Frankfort Early Learning Academy
46
Panther Transition Academy
17

How Frankfort Independent Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Elliott County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Eminence Independent Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Menifee County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lyon County Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Cumberland County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Frankfort 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 Frankfort Independent?

Frankfort Independent has 4 schools, including 1 elementary, 2 high, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 972 students.

How much does Frankfort Independent spend per student?

Frankfort Independent spends $14,203 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #81 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Frankfort Independent?

Frankfort Independent students are 66.6% White, 15.5% African American, 9.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Frankfort Independent?

Frankfort Independent has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #81 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.