Enrollment
653
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fairdale, KY
Fairdale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Fairdale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210299000626
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairdale Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Fairdale · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 61.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairdale Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairdale Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Fairdale, KY.
School address
District: Jefferson County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210299000626 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.9%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairdale Elementary compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairdale Elementary
Fairdale Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Fairdale, Kentucky, enrolling 653 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.9% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 653 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 458 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #376, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 653 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Jefferson County spends $17,376 per pupil, 32% above the Kentucky average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Jefferson County also operates Ballard High (2,148 students) and Dupont Manual High (1,899 students) alongside Fairdale Elementary.
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 Fairdale Elementary compares
Fairdale Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.9% | ▲ 5% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$17,376
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 653 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 41.5%
Hispanic or Latino 39.7%
African American 12.9%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, Fairdale Elementary is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County, which includes Fairdale Elementary.
$17,376
Per student
+32%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.8%
State 30.9%
Federal 22.3%
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 Fairdale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dupont Manual High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marion C. Moore School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastern High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pleasure Ridge Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairdale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,892
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,790
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,777
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~653 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairdale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Fairdale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson 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 Fairdale Elementary
How many students attend Fairdale Elementary?
Fairdale Elementary has 653 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fairdale, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairdale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairdale Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 16% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairdale Elementary?
61.9% of students at Fairdale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairdale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Fairdale Elementary is White at 41.5% of enrollment, in Fairdale, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairdale Elementary?
Fairdale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Fairdale Elementary rank among public schools in Fairdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairdale Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Fairdale, 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 Fairdale on the city page.
Is Fairdale Elementary a good school?
Fairdale Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also more 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 Jefferson County?
Besides Fairdale Elementary, Jefferson County also operates Ballard High (2,148 students), Dupont Manual High (1,899 students), and Marion C. Moore School (1,892 students). See the Jefferson 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.