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London, Kentucky - 18 schools
An equity score of 24/100 ranks Laurel County #154 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,261 per pupil, Laurel County ranks #166 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
8,801
Total Enrollment
18
Schools
$11,261
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Laurel County operates 18 public schools serving 8,801 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 13 combined, 3 high, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Laurel County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,261 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 18 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kentucky compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.5% local, 60.7% state, and 17.9% 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 24/100, ranked #154 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 18 schools offering Advanced Placement (23 AP courses district-wide), a 354.7:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.1% White, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wyan-Pine Grove Elementary, with a diversity index of 24.9/100.
Its largest campus is North Laurel High School, enrolling 1,252 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Mcdaniel Learning Center, at 29 students, a 43x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Laurel County school enrollment varies 43× across entities
Laurel County school enrollment ranges from 29 students (lowest) to 1,252 students (highest), a spread of 1,223 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.
Laurel County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.8% 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.
Laurel County student-counselor ratio is 355:1 — 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.
Laurel County chronic absenteeism rate is 31.4% — 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.
Laurel County has 18 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 13 combined. Total enrollment is 8,801 students.
How much does Laurel County spend per student?
Laurel County spends $11,261 per student. The district has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #154 in Kentucky.
What is the demographic composition of Laurel County?
Laurel County students are 92.1% White, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 18 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Laurel County?
Laurel County has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #154 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.