Harrison 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.

Cynthiana, Kentucky - 7 schools

An equity score of 31/100 ranks Harrison County #138 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,818 per pupil, Harrison County ranks #141 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,896
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$11,818
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Harrison County operates 7 public schools serving 2,896 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 Harrison County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,818 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 22.4% local, 54.6% state, and 23.0% 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 31/100, ranked #138 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 366.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.0% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Southside Elementary School, with a diversity index of 25.1/100.

Its largest campus is Harrison County High School, enrolling 881 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Harrison County Learning Center, at 24 students, a 37x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Harrison County High School accounts for 29.5% of all Harrison County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Harrison 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

Harrison County school enrollment varies 37× across entities

Harrison County school enrollment ranges from 24 students (lowest) to 881 students (highest), a spread of 857 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

Harrison County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 55.2% 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

Harrison County student-counselor ratio is 366:1 — 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

Harrison County chronic absenteeism rate is 18.9% — 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 Harrison County is typically wider than the Harrison 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?

23.0%
Federal
54.6%
State
22.4%
Local

Funding Equity

31
Equity Score
138 / 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 Harrison County.

White 89.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
African American 1.4%
Multiracial 4.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 20.2/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Southside Elementary School 25.1
  2. 2 Harrison County Middle School 23.7
  3. 3 Northside Elementary School 23.1
  4. 4 Westside Elementary School 21.5
  5. 5 Harrison County High School 19.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
366.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Harrison County

School Enrollment
Harrison County High School
881
Harrison County Middle School
617
Southside Elementary School
409
Eastside Elementary School
399
Westside Elementary School
360
Northside Elementary School
292
Harrison County Learning Center
24

How Harrison County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Clay County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Boyle County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Russell County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Corbin Independent Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Rockcastle County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Harrison 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 Harrison County?

Harrison County has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 2,896 students.

How much does Harrison County spend per student?

Harrison County spends $11,818 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #138 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Harrison County?

Harrison County students are 89.0% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Harrison County?

Harrison County has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #138 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.