Madison 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.

Richmond, Kentucky - 20 schools

An equity score of 23/100 ranks Madison County #156 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,762 per pupil, Madison County ranks #145 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

11,198
Total Enrollment
20
Schools
$11,762
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Madison County operates 20 public schools serving 11,198 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 combined, 5 middle, 4 elementary, 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Madison County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,762 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 32.2% local, 49.3% state, and 18.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 23/100, ranked #156 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 20 schools offering Advanced Placement (29 AP courses district-wide), a 485.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.4% White, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Madison Kindergarten Academy, with a diversity index of 50.0/100.

Its largest campus is Madison Central High School, enrolling 2,107 students (19% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Bellevue Transitional School, at 11 students, a 192x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Madison Central High School accounts for 18.8% of all Madison County student enrollment

That concentration means Madison 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

Madison County school enrollment varies 192× across entities

Madison County school enrollment ranges from 11 students (lowest) to 2,107 students (highest), a spread of 2,096 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

Madison County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.3% 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). 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

Madison County student-counselor ratio is 485:1 — 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

Madison County chronic absenteeism rate is 21.2% — 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 Madison County is typically wider than the Madison 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?

18.5%
Federal
49.3%
State
32.2%
Local

Funding Equity

23
Equity Score
156 / 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 20 schools in Madison County.

White 81.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
African American 3.9%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 6.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 31.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Madison Kindergarten Academy 50.0
  2. 2 Daniel Boone Elementary School 49.8
  3. 3 Madison Middle School 43.1
  4. 4 Bellevue Transitional School 43.0
  5. 5 Kirksville Elementary School 41.6

Programs & Resources

2 / 20
Schools with AP
29 AP courses total
485.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Madison County

School Enrollment
Madison Central High School
2,107
Madison Southern High School
1,224
Kirksville Elementary School
662
Kingston Elementary School
608
Madison Middle School
586
Clark Moores Middle School
558
B. Michael Caudill Middle School
517
Silver Creek Elementary School
490
Glenn R Marshall Elementary School
480
Shannon Johnson Elementary School
473
Daniel Boone Elementary School
469
Farristown Middle School
463
Kit Carson Elementary School
445
Foley Middle School
429
Waco Elementary School
422
Boonesborough Elementary
406
Madison Kindergarten Academy
403
White Hall Elementary School
364
Madison County Day Treatment
15
Bellevue Transitional School
11

How Madison County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Daviess County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Oldham County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Scott County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Bullitt County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Laurel County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Madison 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 Madison County?

Madison County has 20 schools, including 2 high, 9 combined, 5 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 11,198 students.

How much does Madison County spend per student?

Madison County spends $11,762 per student. The district has an equity score of 23/100, ranking #156 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Madison County?

Madison County students are 81.4% White, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 20 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Madison County?

Madison County has an equity score of 23/100, ranking #156 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.