Rockcastle 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.

Mount Vernon, Kentucky - 6 schools

An equity score of 54/100 ranks Rockcastle County #74 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,118 per pupil, Rockcastle County ranks #127 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,761
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$12,118
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rockcastle County operates 6 public schools serving 2,761 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 Rockcastle County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,118 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 14.2% local, 64.2% state, and 21.6% 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 54/100, ranked #74 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 331.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.5% White, 1.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Roundstone Elementary School, with a diversity index of 12.2/100.

Its largest campus is Rockcastle County High School, enrolling 796 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rockcastle Academy for Academic Achievement, at 39 students, a 20x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Rockcastle County High School accounts for 28.5% of all Rockcastle County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Rockcastle 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

Rockcastle County school enrollment varies 20× across entities

Rockcastle County school enrollment ranges from 39 students (lowest) to 796 students (highest), a spread of 757 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Rockcastle County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.2% 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). 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

Rockcastle County student-counselor ratio is 331:1 — 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 Rockcastle County is typically wider than the Rockcastle County-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Rockcastle County chronic absenteeism rate is 30.5% — 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?

21.6%
Federal
64.2%
State
14.2%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
74 / 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 Rockcastle County.

White 94.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Multiracial 2.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 10.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Roundstone Elementary School 12.2
  2. 2 Rockcastle County High School 11.9
  3. 3 Rockcastle County Middle School 11.5
  4. 4 Mt. Vernon Elementary 11.5
  5. 5 Brodhead Elementary School 10.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
331.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Rockcastle County

School Enrollment
Rockcastle County High School
796
Rockcastle County Middle School
600
Mt. Vernon Elementary
597
Brodhead Elementary School
493
Roundstone Elementary School
267
Rockcastle Academy for Academic Achievement
39

How Rockcastle County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kentucky districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Breckinridge County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Taylor County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Mercer County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Bardstown Independent Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Mccreary County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County?

Rockcastle County has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 2,761 students.

How much does Rockcastle County spend per student?

Rockcastle County spends $12,118 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #74 in Kentucky.

What is the demographic composition of Rockcastle County?

Rockcastle County students are 94.5% White, 1.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rockcastle County?

Rockcastle County has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #74 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.