An equity score of 65/100 ranks Whitley County #48 of 171 districts in Kentucky (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,081 per pupil, Whitley County ranks #131 of 171 Kentucky districts by per-pupil spending (Kentucky districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
4,336
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$13,081
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Whitley County operates 11 public schools serving 4,336 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kentucky. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary 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 Whitley County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,081 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 11.5% local, 59.2% state, and 29.3% 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 65/100, ranked #48 of 171 in Kentucky against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 503.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.6% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Whitley County Alternative School, with a diversity index of 21.2/100.
Its largest campus is Whitley County High School, enrolling 919 students (22% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Whitley County Alternative School, at 52 students, a 18x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Whitley County High School accounts for 21.2% of all Whitley County student enrollment
That concentration means Whitley 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.
Whitley County school enrollment varies 18× across entities
Whitley County school enrollment ranges from 52 students (lowest) to 919 students (highest), a spread of 867 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Whitley County reports 75.7% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. 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.
Whitley County student-counselor ratio is 503:1 — 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.
Whitley County chronic absenteeism rate is 33.5% — 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.
Whitley County has 11 schools, including 1 high, 8 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,336 students.
How much does Whitley County spend per student?
Whitley County spends $13,081 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #48 in Kentucky.
What is the demographic composition of Whitley County?
Whitley County students are 95.6% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Whitley County?
Whitley County has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #48 out of 171 districts in Kentucky.