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Bardstown, Kentucky - 11 schools
An equity score of 32/100 ranks Nelson County #134 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,705 per pupil, Nelson County ranks #93 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
4,511
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$12,705
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Nelson County operates 11 public schools serving 4,511 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 2 high, 2 middle, 2 combined 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 Nelson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,705 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 43.7% local, 41.6% state, and 14.7% 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 32/100, ranked #134 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 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (17 AP courses district-wide), a 332.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.7% White, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is The Academy at Horizons, with a diversity index of 32.4/100.
Its largest campus is Nelson County High School, enrolling 756 students (18% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is The Academy at Horizons, at 38 students, a 20x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Nelson County High School accounts for 16.8% of all Nelson County student enrollment
That concentration means Nelson 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.
Nelson County school enrollment varies 20× across entities
Nelson County school enrollment ranges from 38 students (lowest) to 756 students (highest), a spread of 718 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Nelson County student-counselor ratio is 332:1 — 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 Nelson County is typically wider than the Nelson County-aggregate figure suggests.
Nelson County chronic absenteeism rate is 23.8% — 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 Nelson County is typically wider than the Nelson County-aggregate figure suggests.
Nelson County has 11 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 5 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 4,511 students.
How much does Nelson County spend per student?
Nelson County spends $12,705 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #134 in Kentucky.
What is the demographic composition of Nelson County?
Nelson County students are 89.7% White, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Nelson County?
Nelson County has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #134 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.