Fulton 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.

Hickman, Kentucky - 3 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Fulton County #44 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,509 per pupil, Fulton County ranks #57 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

640
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,509
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Fulton County operates 3 public schools serving 640 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 Fulton County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,509 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 22.5% local, 48.5% state, and 29.0% 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 67/100, ranked #44 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 140:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 20.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 57.8% White, 29.0% African American, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Fulton County High School, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.

Its largest campus is Fulton County Elementary, enrolling 314 students (51% of the district's total enrollment).

Fulton County Elementary accounts for 49.1% of all Fulton County student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Fulton County a distant remainder — means Fulton 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

Fulton County school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities

Fulton County school enrollment ranges from 123 students (lowest) to 314 students (highest), a spread of 191 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

Fulton County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.6% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

Fulton County student-counselor ratio is 140:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Fulton County chronic absenteeism rate is 20.0% — 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 Fulton County is typically wider than the Fulton 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?

29.0%
Federal
48.5%
State
22.5%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
44 / 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 Fulton County.

White 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
African American 29.0%
Multiracial 9.4%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 57.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Fulton County High School 58.0
  2. 2 Fulton County Middle School 57.4
  3. 3 Fulton County Elementary 55.5

Programs & Resources

140:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Fulton County

School Enrollment
Fulton County Elementary
314
Fulton County High School
174
Fulton County Middle School
123

How Fulton County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bellevue Independent Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Caverna Independent Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Barbourville Independent Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Fairview Independent Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Pineville Independent Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Fulton 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 Fulton County?

Fulton County has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 640 students.

How much does Fulton County spend per student?

Fulton County spends $13,509 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #44 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Fulton County?

Fulton County students are 57.8% White, 29.0% African American, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Fulton County?

Fulton County has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #44 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.