Enrollment
502
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pineville, KY
Bell Central School Center
Federal NCES profile for Bell Central School Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210039001881
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bell Central School Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Pineville · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 70.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Bell Central School Center has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Central School Center ranks #3 of 3 schools in Pineville, KY.
School address
District: Bell County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210039001881 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.9%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bell Central School Center compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bell Central School Center
Bell Central School Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pineville, Kentucky, enrolling 502 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 502 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,389 Kentucky schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 432 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #405, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 502 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 32.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pineville's public schools, it stands alongside Pineville Independent School (531 students): Bell Central School Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 14:1).
Bell County also operates Bell County High School (622 students) and Yellow Creek School Center (575 students) alongside Bell Central School Center.
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 Bell Central School Center compares
Bell Central School Center on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.9% | ▲ 20% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 502 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
502
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 40% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.0%
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
$14,239
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 502 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 98.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%
African American 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 98.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.8, Bell Central School Center is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bell County, which includes Bell Central School Center.
$14,239
Per student
+8%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 50.8%
Federal 32.4%
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 Bell Central School Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Yellow Creek School Center | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Page School Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lone Jack School Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Right Fork School Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bell Central School Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 152
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Pineville
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~502 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bell Central School Center's federal record.
- Compare Bell Central School Center against another school. Compare schools
- Bell 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 Bell Central School Center
How many students attend Bell Central School Center?
Bell Central School Center has 502 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pineville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bell Central School Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Bell Central School Center is 14.3:1, which is 6% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 9% 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 Bell Central School Center?
70.9% of students at Bell Central School Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bell Central School Center?
The largest demographic group at Bell Central School Center is White at 98.6% of enrollment, in Pineville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bell Central School Center?
Bell Central School Center has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Bell Central School Center rank among schools in Pineville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bell Central School Center ranks #3 of 3 schools in Pineville, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pineville on the city page.
Is Bell Central School Center a good school?
Bell Central School Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Bell County?
Besides Bell Central School Center, Bell County also operates Bell County High School (622 students), Yellow Creek School Center (575 students), and Page School Center (272 students). See the Bell 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.