Enrollment
609
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Union, KY
Ballyshannon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ballyshannon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210051002460
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballyshannon Middle School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Union · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 24.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballyshannon Middle School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballyshannon Middle School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Union, KY.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballyshannon Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballyshannon Middle School
Ballyshannon Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Union, Kentucky, enrolling 609 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kentucky median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.5% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Kentucky average.
Enrollment of 609 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 98 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Union's middle schools, it stands alongside Gray Middle School (1,006 students): Ballyshannon Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 16.8:1).
Boone County also operates Larry a. Ryle High School (2,077 students) and Randall K. Cooper High School (1,490 students) alongside Ballyshannon 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 Ballyshannon Middle School compares
Ballyshannon 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.5% | ▼ 59% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 609 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
609
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 43% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,899
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 80.8%
Two or More 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 3.9%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 80.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.7, Ballyshannon Middle School is about as mixed as the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boone County, which includes Ballyshannon Middle School.
$12,899
Per student
-2%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.3%
State 38.1%
Federal 10.5%
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 Ballyshannon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry a. Ryle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Randall K. Cooper High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conner High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boone County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gray Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ballyshannon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,077
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,490
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools in Union
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~609 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballyshannon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ballyshannon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Boone 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 Ballyshannon Middle School
How many students attend Ballyshannon Middle School?
Ballyshannon Middle School has 609 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Union, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballyshannon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballyshannon Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 5% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 8% 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 Ballyshannon Middle School?
24.5% of students at Ballyshannon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballyshannon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ballyshannon Middle School is White at 80.8% of enrollment, in Union, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballyshannon Middle School?
Ballyshannon Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Ballyshannon Middle School rank among public schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballyshannon Middle School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Union, 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 Union on the city page.
Is Ballyshannon Middle School a good school?
Ballyshannon Middle School earns 56/100 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 Boone County?
Besides Ballyshannon Middle School, Boone County also operates Larry a. Ryle High School (2,077 students), Randall K. Cooper High School (1,490 students), and Conner High School (1,400 students). See the Boone 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.