Lawrence 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.

Louisa, Kentucky - 6 schools

An equity score of 77/100 ranks Lawrence County #23 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,381 per pupil, Lawrence County ranks #63 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,442
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$13,381
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lawrence County operates 6 public schools serving 2,442 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 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 Lawrence County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,381 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 14.0% local, 62.7% state, and 23.3% 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 77/100, ranked #23 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 319.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 38.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.0% White, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Louisa East Elementary School, with a diversity index of 9.5/100.

Its largest campus is Lawrence County High School, enrolling 757 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Blaine Elementary School, at 149 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Lawrence County High School accounts for 31.0% of all Lawrence County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Lawrence 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

Lawrence County school enrollment varies 5.1× across entities

Lawrence County school enrollment ranges from 149 students (lowest) to 757 students (highest), a spread of 608 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

Lawrence County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.6% 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

Lawrence County student-counselor ratio is 319:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Lawrence County is typically wider than the Lawrence County-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Lawrence County chronic absenteeism rate is 38.8% — 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?

23.3%
Federal
62.7%
State
14.0%
Local

Funding Equity

77
Equity Score
23 / 171
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Lawrence County.

White 97.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
Multiracial 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 5.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Louisa East Elementary School 9.5
  2. 2 Louisa West Elementary School 9.1
  3. 3 Lawrence County High School 7.2
  4. 4 Louisa Middle School 6.1
  5. 5 Fallsburg Elementary School 2.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
319.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
38.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lawrence County

School Enrollment
Lawrence County High School
757
Louisa East Elementary School
512
Louisa Middle School
384
Louisa West Elementary School
295
Fallsburg Elementary School
190
Blaine Elementary School
149

How Lawrence County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bell County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Elizabethtown Independent Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Glasgow Independent Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Larue County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Erlanger-Elsmere Independent Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Lawrence 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 Lawrence County?

Lawrence County has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 2,442 students.

How much does Lawrence County spend per student?

Lawrence County spends $13,381 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #23 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Lawrence County?

Lawrence County students are 97.0% White, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lawrence County?

Lawrence County has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #23 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.