Grayson 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.

Leitchfield, Kentucky - 7 schools

An equity score of 36/100 ranks Grayson County #122 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,832 per pupil, Grayson County ranks #139 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,039
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$11,832
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Grayson County operates 7 public schools serving 4,039 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 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 Grayson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,832 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 19.6% local, 55.4% state, and 24.9% 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 36/100, ranked #122 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 2 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 370.4:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.9% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is H W Wilkey Elementary School, with a diversity index of 15.0/100.

Its largest campus is Grayson County High School, enrolling 1,180 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Grayson Co. Alternative Education, at 19 students, a 62x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Grayson County High School accounts for 29.2% of all Grayson County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Grayson County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Grayson County school enrollment varies 62× across entities

Grayson County school enrollment ranges from 19 students (lowest) to 1,180 students (highest), a spread of 1,161 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Grayson County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 62.5% 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

Grayson County student-counselor ratio is 370:1 — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Grayson County chronic absenteeism rate is 23.8% — 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 Grayson County is typically wider than the Grayson 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?

24.9%
Federal
55.4%
State
19.6%
Local

Funding Equity

36
Equity Score
122 / 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 7 schools in Grayson County.

White 93.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.6%
Multiracial 2.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 11.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 H W Wilkey Elementary School 15.0
  2. 2 Caneyville Elementary School 14.1
  3. 3 Grayson County Middle School 12.8
  4. 4 Oran P Lawler Elementary School 12.2
  5. 5 Grayson Co. Alternative Education 10.0

Programs & Resources

2 / 7
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
370.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Grayson County

School Enrollment
Grayson County High School
1,180
Grayson County Middle School
837
Clarkson Elementary School
642
H W Wilkey Elementary School
504
Oran P Lawler Elementary School
470
Caneyville Elementary School
378
Grayson Co. Alternative Education
19

How Grayson County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Woodford County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Graves County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Knox County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Carter County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ohio County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Grayson 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 Grayson County?

Grayson County has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 4,039 students.

How much does Grayson County spend per student?

Grayson County spends $11,832 per student. The district has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #122 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Grayson County?

Grayson County students are 93.9% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Grayson County?

Grayson County has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #122 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.