Enrollment
246
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whitesburg, KY
Cowan Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cowan Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210336000900
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowan Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Whitesburg · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 64.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowan Elementary School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Whitesburg, KY.
School address
District: Letcher County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210336000900 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.2%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowan Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowan Elementary School
Cowan Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Whitesburg, Kentucky, enrolling 246 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 195 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #169, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Whitesburg's public schools, it stands alongside West Whitesburg Elementary School (462 students): Cowan Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.7:1 vs 13.2:1).
Letcher County also operates Letcher County Central High School (692 students) and West Whitesburg Elementary School (462 students) alongside Cowan Elementary 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 Cowan Elementary School compares
Cowan Elementary 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 10% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.2% | ▲ 8% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 32% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
56.1%
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
$14,514
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
Counselors0.7 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 96.7%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 96.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.4, Cowan Elementary School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Letcher County, which includes Cowan Elementary School.
$14,514
Per student
+10%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.9%
State 63.9%
Federal 22.2%
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 Cowan Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Whitesburg Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Letcher Elementary & Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martha Jane Potter Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whitesburg Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowan Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 191
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Whitesburg
3 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 (~246 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowan Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cowan Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Letcher 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 Cowan Elementary School
How many students attend Cowan Elementary School?
Cowan Elementary School has 246 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whitesburg, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowan Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowan Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 10% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 13% 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 Cowan Elementary School?
64.2% of students at Cowan Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowan Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cowan Elementary School is White at 96.7% of enrollment, in Whitesburg, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowan Elementary School?
Cowan Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Cowan Elementary School rank among schools in Whitesburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Whitesburg, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Whitesburg on the city page.
Is Cowan Elementary School a good school?
Cowan Elementary School earns 36/100 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 Letcher County?
Besides Cowan Elementary School, Letcher County also operates Letcher County Central High School (692 students), West Whitesburg Elementary School (462 students), and Letcher Elementary & Middle School (322 students). See the Letcher 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.