Perry County

Hazard, Kentucky — 10 schools

3,593
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$15,620
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Perry County operates 10 public schools serving 3,593 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 other, 2 high, 2 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,518 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Perry County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,620 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 14.3% local, 61.0% state, and 24.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $68,001 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 75/100, ranked #24 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 409.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 52.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.7% White, 1.6% African American, 1.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Perry County Central High School accounts for 23.3% of all Perry County student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Perry 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

Perry County school enrollment varies 117× across entities

Perry County school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 819 students (highest), a spread of 812 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Perry County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 73.2% 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

Perry County student-counselor ratio is 410:1 — 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

Perry County chronic absenteeism rate is 52.3% — 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?

24.7%
Federal
61.0%
State
14.3%
Local

Funding Equity

75
Equity Score
24 / 171
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Perry County county, where this district is located.

$685
Studio/mo
$731
1 BR/mo
$959
2 BR/mo
$1,150
3 BR/mo
$1,270
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$68,001
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Perry County.

White 95.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
African American 1.6%
Multiracial 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

409.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
52.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Perry County

School Enrollment
Perry County Central High School
819
West Perry Elementary School
743
East Perry County Elementary School
603
Robert W Combs Elementary School
325
Buckhorn School
320
Viper Elementary School
282
Robinson Elementary School
278
Leatherwood Elementary School
102
Learning Academy
39
Perry County Alternative School
7

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 · $19,590/pupil
Compare vs Perry County →
Fayette County
41,422 students · 80 schools · $17,525/pupil
Compare vs Perry County →
Boone County
20,200 students · 28 schools · $14,519/pupil
Compare vs Perry County →
Warren County
17,799 students · 34 schools · $13,452/pupil
Compare vs Perry County →
Hardin County
14,675 students · 26 schools · $13,705/pupil
Compare vs Perry County →

Compare Perry 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 Perry County?

Perry County has 10 schools, including 2 high, 6 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,593 students.

How much does Perry County spend per student?

Perry County spends $15,620 per student. The district has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #24 in Kentucky.

What is the average teacher salary in Perry County?

The average teacher salary in Perry County is $68,001 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Perry County?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Perry County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Perry County?

Perry County students are 95.7% White, 1.6% African American, 1.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Perry County?

Perry County has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #24 out of 171 districts in Kentucky. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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