Enrollment
703
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bardstown, KY
Bardstown High School
Federal NCES profile for Bardstown High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210027000045
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bardstown High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Bardstown · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Bardstown High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bardstown High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bardstown, KY.
School address
District: Bardstown Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210027000045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bardstown High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bardstown High School
Bardstown High School is a mid-sized high school in Bardstown, Kentucky, enrolling 703 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 703 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 317 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bardstown's high schools, it stands alongside Nelson County High School (756 students): Bardstown High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 20.4:1).
Bardstown Independent also operates Bardstown Elementary School (847 students) and Bardstown Middle School (591 students) alongside Bardstown High 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 Bardstown High School compares
Bardstown High 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 18% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 26% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 703 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
703
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$13,950
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 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 65.1%
African American 11.9%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.1, Bardstown High School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bardstown Independent, which includes Bardstown High School.
$13,950
Per student
+6%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 53.3%
Federal 18.4%
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 Bardstown High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bardstown Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bardstown Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bardstown Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bardstown Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bardstown Alternative School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bardstown High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 7.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Bardstown
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~703 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bardstown High School's federal record.
- Compare Bardstown High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bardstown Independent'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 Bardstown High School
How many students attend Bardstown High School?
Bardstown High School has 703 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bardstown, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bardstown High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bardstown High School is 18:1, which is 18% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bardstown High School?
43.8% of students at Bardstown High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bardstown High School?
The largest demographic group at Bardstown High School is White at 65.1% of enrollment, in Bardstown, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bardstown High School?
Bardstown High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bardstown High School rank among high schools in Bardstown?
By Resource Investment Index, Bardstown High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bardstown, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bardstown on the city page.
Is Bardstown High School a good school?
Bardstown High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Bardstown Independent?
Besides Bardstown High School, Bardstown Independent also operates Bardstown Elementary School (847 students), Bardstown Middle School (591 students), and Bardstown Primary School (434 students). See the Bardstown Independent 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.