Enrollment
444
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Barlow, KY
Ballard County Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ballard County Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210021000356
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballard County Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Barlow · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 53.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballard County Elementary School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard County Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Barlow, KY.
School address
District: Ballard County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210021000356 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballard County Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballard County Elementary School
Ballard County Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Barlow, Kentucky, enrolling 444 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 444 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 472 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #386, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 444 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Ballard County also operates Ballard Memorial High School (276 students) and Ballard County Middle School (202 students) alongside Ballard County Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ballard County Elementary School compares
Ballard County Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.5% | ▼ 10% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 444 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
444
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 34% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,058
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 444 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 84.0%
Two or More 9.9%
African American 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 84.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.3, Ballard County Elementary School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ballard County, which includes Ballard County Elementary School.
$13,058
Per student
-1%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 54.4%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ballard County Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard Memorial High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballard County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ballard County Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 93
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~444 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballard County Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ballard County Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ballard County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ballard County Elementary School
How many students attend Ballard County Elementary School?
Ballard County Elementary School has 444 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Barlow, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballard County Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballard County Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 9% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ballard County Elementary School?
53.5% of students at Ballard County Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballard County Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ballard County Elementary School is White at 84.0% of enrollment, in Barlow, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballard County Elementary School?
Ballard County Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ballard County Elementary School rank among public schools in Barlow?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard County Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Barlow, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Barlow on the city page.
Is Ballard County Elementary School a good school?
Ballard County Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ballard County?
Besides Ballard County Elementary School, Ballard County also operates Ballard Memorial High School (276 students), Ballard County Middle School (202 students), and Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center (93 students). See the Ballard County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.