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.
Lebanon, Kentucky - 8 schools
An equity score of 39/100 ranks Marion County #107 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,430 per pupil, Marion County ranks #112 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,256
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$12,430
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Marion County operates 8 public schools serving 3,256 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 1 high, 1 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 Marion County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,430 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 29.4% local, 52.9% state, and 17.7% 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 39/100, ranked #107 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 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 326.6:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.7% White, 8.9% Hispanic or Latino, 5.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lebanon Elementary School, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
Its largest campus is Marion County High School, enrolling 879 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hugh C. Spalding Academy, at 164 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Marion County High School accounts for 27.0% of all Marion County student enrollment
That concentration means Marion 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.
Marion County school enrollment varies 5.4× across entities
Marion County school enrollment ranges from 164 students (lowest) to 879 students (highest), a spread of 715 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.
Marion County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.6% 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). 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.
Marion County student-counselor ratio is 327:1 — 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 Marion County is typically wider than the Marion County-aggregate figure suggests.
Marion County chronic absenteeism rate is 20.8% — 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 Marion County is typically wider than the Marion County-aggregate figure suggests.
Marion County has 8 schools, including 1 high, 6 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 3,256 students.
How much does Marion County spend per student?
Marion County spends $12,430 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #107 in Kentucky.
What is the demographic composition of Marion County?
Marion County students are 77.7% White, 8.9% Hispanic or Latino, 5.5% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Marion County?
Marion County has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #107 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.