Enrollment
452
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lawrenceburg, KY
Emma B. Ward Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Emma B. Ward Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210012000021
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emma B. Ward Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Kentucky schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Lawrenceburg · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Emma B. Ward Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emma B. Ward Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lawrenceburg, KY.
School address
District: Anderson County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210012000021 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emma B. Ward Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emma B. Ward Elementary School
Emma B. Ward Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, enrolling 452 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 39.4% free-meal eligibility runs 33% below the Kentucky average.
With 452 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 231 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lawrenceburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Robert B. Turner Elementary School (578 students): Emma B. Ward Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 16.5:1).
Anderson County also operates Anderson County High School (1,157 students) and Anderson County Middle School (768 students) alongside Emma B. Ward 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 Emma B. Ward Elementary School compares
Emma B. Ward 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 33% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 21% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,315
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 88.7%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 88.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.9, Emma B. Ward 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 Anderson County, which includes Emma B. Ward Elementary School.
$11,315
Per student
-14%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.2%
State 51.3%
Federal 17.5%
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 Emma B. Ward Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Anderson County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert B. Turner Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saffell Street Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ezra Sparrow Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emma B. Ward Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,157
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 303
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Lawrenceburg
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emma B. Ward Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Emma B. Ward Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 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 Emma B. Ward Elementary School
How many students attend Emma B. Ward Elementary School?
Emma B. Ward Elementary School has 452 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lawrenceburg, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emma B. Ward Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emma B. Ward Elementary School is 12.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 20% 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 Emma B. Ward Elementary School?
39.4% of students at Emma B. Ward Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emma B. Ward Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Emma B. Ward Elementary School is White at 88.7% of enrollment, in Lawrenceburg, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emma B. Ward Elementary School?
Emma B. Ward Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Emma B. Ward Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Lawrenceburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Emma B. Ward Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Lawrenceburg, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lawrenceburg on the city page.
Is Emma B. Ward Elementary School a good school?
Emma B. Ward Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Anderson County?
Besides Emma B. Ward Elementary School, Anderson County also operates Anderson County High School (1,157 students), Anderson County Middle School (768 students), and Robert B. Turner Elementary School (578 students). See the Anderson 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.