Enrollment
358
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dayton, KY
Dayton High School
Federal NCES profile for Dayton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210153000316
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dayton High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools.
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 358
- students enrolled
Dayton High School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Dayton Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210153000316 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dayton High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dayton High School
Dayton High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dayton, Kentucky, enrolling 358 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 358 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 77 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 358 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Dayton's public schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Elementary School (453 students): Dayton High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 11.9:1).
Its district, Dayton Independent, also runs Lincoln Elementary School (453 students).
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 Dayton High School compares
Dayton 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 29% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 358 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
358
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 18% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$15,687
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 358 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 83.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 5.3%
African American 3.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Dayton High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dayton Independent, which includes Dayton High School.
$15,687
Per student
+19%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 52.4%
Federal 24.3%
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 Dayton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dayton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Dayton
1 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 (~358 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dayton High School's federal record.
- Compare Dayton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dayton 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 Dayton High School
How many students attend Dayton High School?
Dayton High School has 358 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dayton, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dayton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dayton High School is 11.9:1, which is 22% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 24% 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 Dayton High School?
76.1% of students at Dayton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dayton High School?
The largest demographic group at Dayton High School is White at 83.0% of enrollment, in Dayton, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dayton High School?
Dayton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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).
Is Dayton High School a good school?
Dayton High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Dayton Independent?
Besides Dayton High School, Dayton Independent also operates Lincoln Elementary School (453 students). See the Dayton 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.