Enrollment
209
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Horse Cave, KY
Caverna High School
Federal NCES profile for Caverna High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210111000214
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Caverna High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Kentucky schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Horse Cave · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 76.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Caverna High School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Caverna High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Horse Cave, KY.
School address
District: Caverna Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210111000214 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.0%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Caverna High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Caverna High School
Caverna High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Horse Cave, Kentucky, enrolling 209 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 209 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 123 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #64.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 209 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Caverna Independent spends $18,276 per pupil, 38% above the Kentucky average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 78 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 209 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Caverna Independent also operates Caverna Elementary School (330 students) and Caverna Middle School (115 students) alongside Caverna 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 Caverna High School compares
Caverna 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.0% | ▲ 28% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 209 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
209
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 26% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$18,276
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 209 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.3 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 64.6%
African American 17.7%
Two or More 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Caverna High School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caverna Independent, which includes Caverna High School.
$18,276
Per student
+38%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 40.5%
Federal 27.9%
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 Caverna High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caverna Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Caverna Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Caverna High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 330
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~209 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Caverna High School's federal record.
- Compare Caverna High School against another school. Compare schools
- Caverna 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 Caverna High School
How many students attend Caverna High School?
Caverna High School has 209 students enrolled. It is a high school in Horse Cave, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Caverna High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Caverna High School is 13.1:1, which is 14% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 17% 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 Caverna High School?
76.0% of students at Caverna High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Caverna High School?
The largest demographic group at Caverna High School is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Horse Cave, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Caverna High School?
Caverna High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Caverna High School rank among public schools in Horse Cave?
By Resource Investment Index, Caverna High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Horse Cave, 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 Horse Cave on the city page.
Is Caverna High School a good school?
Caverna High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Caverna Independent?
Besides Caverna High School, Caverna Independent also operates Caverna Elementary School (330 students) and Caverna Middle School (115 students). See the Caverna 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.