An equity score of 51/100 ranks Russell County #79 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,881 per pupil, Russell County ranks #93 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,005
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,881
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Russell County operates 5 public schools serving 3,005 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 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 Russell County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,881 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 21.0% local, 55.1% state, and 23.8% 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 51/100, ranked #79 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 490.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.8% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Russell Springs Elementary School, with a diversity index of 39.6/100.
Its largest campus is Russell County High School, enrolling 859 students (28% of the district's total enrollment).
Russell County High School accounts for 28.4% of all Russell County student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Russell County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Russell County school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Russell County school enrollment ranges from 401 students (lowest) to 859 students (highest), a spread of 458 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.
Russell County reports 65.5% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Russell County student-counselor ratio is 490:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Russell County chronic absenteeism rate is 21.8% — 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 Russell County is typically wider than the Russell County-aggregate figure suggests.
Russell County has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 3,005 students.
How much does Russell County spend per student?
Russell County spends $13,881 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #79 in Kentucky.
What is the demographic composition of Russell County?
Russell County students are 81.8% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Russell County?
Russell County has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #79 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.