Lewis 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.

Vanceburg, Kentucky - 6 schools

An equity score of 67/100 ranks Lewis County #43 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,728 per pupil, Lewis County ranks #91 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,036
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$12,728
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lewis County operates 6 public schools serving 2,036 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 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 Lewis County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,728 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 14.3% local, 66.6% state, and 19.1% 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 67/100, ranked #43 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 286.6:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 36.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.2% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tollesboro Elementary School, with a diversity index of 11.3/100.

Its largest campus is Lewis County High School, enrolling 568 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Laurel Elementary School, at 70 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Lewis County High School accounts for 27.9% of all Lewis County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Lewis 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

Lewis County school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities

Lewis County school enrollment ranges from 70 students (lowest) to 568 students (highest), a spread of 498 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Lewis County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.3% 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

Lewis County student-counselor ratio is 287:1 — 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 Lewis County is typically wider than the Lewis County-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Lewis County chronic absenteeism rate is 36.4% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

19.1%
Federal
66.6%
State
14.3%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
43 / 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 6 schools in Lewis County.

White 96.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Multiracial 2.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 7.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tollesboro Elementary School 11.3
  2. 2 Lewis County High School 10.2
  3. 3 Lewis County Central Elementary School 7.6
  4. 4 Garrison Elementary School 7.4
  5. 5 Lewis County Middle School 4.7

Programs & Resources

286.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lewis County

School Enrollment
Lewis County High School
568
Lewis County Central Elementary School
466
Garrison Elementary School
292
Lewis County Middle School
290
Tollesboro Elementary School
256
Laurel Elementary School
70

How Lewis County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Carroll County Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Jackson County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Magoffin County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Union County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Henry County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Lewis 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 Lewis County?

Lewis County has 6 schools, including 1 high, 4 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,036 students.

How much does Lewis County spend per student?

Lewis County spends $12,728 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #43 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Lewis County?

Lewis County students are 96.2% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lewis County?

Lewis County has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #43 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.