Shelby City

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.

Shelby, Ohio - 3 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Shelby City #408 of 806 districts in Ohio (state average 46). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,865 per pupil, Shelby City ranks #632 of 966 Ohio districts by per-pupil spending (Ohio districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,853
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,865
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Shelby City operates 3 public schools serving 1,853 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Ohio. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high 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 Richland County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,865 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 966 Ohio districts by per-pupil spending. See how Ohio compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 45.9% local, 39.3% state, and 14.9% 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 45/100, ranked #408 of 806 in Ohio against a state average of 46, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 522.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 28.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.4% White, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Shelby Elementary School, with a diversity index of 16.5/100.

Its largest campus is Shelby Elementary School, enrolling 866 students (48% of the district's total enrollment).

Shelby Elementary School accounts for 46.7% of all Shelby City student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Shelby City a distant remainder — means Shelby City-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Shelby City has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 55.9% 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

Shelby City student-counselor ratio is 522:1 — 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.

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

Shelby City chronic absenteeism rate is 28.7% — 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 Shelby City is typically wider than the Shelby City-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.9%
Federal
39.3%
State
45.9%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
408 / 806
State Rank
46
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 3 schools in Shelby City.

White 93.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Multiracial 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Shelby City's schools, below the Ohio average of 35.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Shelby Elementary School 16.5
  2. 2 Shelby Middle School 14.0
  3. 3 Shelby High School 7.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
522.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
28.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Shelby City

School Enrollment
Shelby Elementary School
866
Shelby Middle School
474
Shelby High School
454

How Shelby City Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Ohio districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Urbana City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Franklin Local Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Fostoria City Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Eaton Community City Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Bethel Local Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Shelby City's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Ohio

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Columbus City Schools District
45,338 students · 118 schools · $20,324/pupil
Compare vs Shelby City →
Cincinnati Public Schools
35,585 students · 65 schools · $18,181/pupil
Compare vs Shelby City →
Cleveland Municipal
33,998 students · 95 schools · $21,661/pupil
Compare vs Shelby City →
Olentangy Local
23,281 students · 27 schools · $13,879/pupil
Compare vs Shelby City →
Toledo City
21,814 students · 57 schools · $18,515/pupil
Compare vs Shelby City →

Compare Shelby City

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Columbus City Schools District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Shelby City?

Shelby City has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,853 students.

How much does Shelby City spend per student?

Shelby City spends $12,865 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #408 in Ohio.

What is the demographic composition of Shelby City?

Shelby City students are 93.4% White, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Shelby City?

Shelby City has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #408 out of 806 districts in Ohio.