Enrollment
202
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Barlow, KY
Ballard County Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ballard County Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210021000035
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballard County Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Barlow · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 47.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballard County Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard County Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Barlow, KY.
School address
District: Ballard County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210021000035 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.0%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballard County Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballard County Middle School
Ballard County Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Barlow, Kentucky, enrolling 202 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 202 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 66 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #33.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 202 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Discipline events run high: 95 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 202 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Ballard County also operates Ballard County Elementary School (444 students) and Ballard Memorial High School (276 students) alongside Ballard County Middle 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 Middle School compares
Ballard County Middle 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.0% | ▼ 21% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 202 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
202
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 30% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.8%
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 202 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 41.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.0 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 89.6%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.2, Ballard County Middle 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 Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard County Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ballard Memorial High School | Larger | 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 Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 93
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle 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 (~202 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballard County Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ballard County Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Ballard County Middle School?
Ballard County Middle School has 202 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Barlow, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballard County Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballard County Middle School is 13.5:1, which is 11% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 14% 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 Middle School?
47.0% of students at Ballard County Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballard County Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ballard County Middle School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Barlow, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballard County Middle School?
Ballard County Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Barlow?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballard County Middle School ranks #1 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 Middle School a good school?
Ballard County Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Kentucky schools. 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 Middle School, Ballard County also operates Ballard County Elementary School (444 students), Ballard Memorial High School (276 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.