Enrollment
588
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bardstown, KY
Foster Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Foster Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210441001093
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foster Heights Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Bardstown · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Foster Heights Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Bardstown, KY.
School address
District: Nelson County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210441001093 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foster Heights Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foster Heights Elementary School
Foster Heights Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Bardstown, Kentucky, enrolling 588 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 588 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 342 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #22, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Bardstown's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bardstown Elementary School (847 students): Foster Heights Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 15.1:1).
Nelson County also operates Nelson County High School (756 students) and Thomas Nelson High School (629 students) alongside Foster Heights 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 Foster Heights Elementary School compares
Foster Heights 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 26% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 588 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
588
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 29% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,705
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 84.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 2.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.9, Foster Heights 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 Nelson County, which includes Foster Heights Elementary School.
$12,705
Per student
-4%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.7%
State 41.6%
Federal 14.7%
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 Foster Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Nelson High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Kentucky Home Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coxs Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bloomfield Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foster Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Bardstown
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 (~588 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foster Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Foster Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Nelson 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 Foster Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Foster Heights Elementary School?
Foster Heights Elementary School has 588 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bardstown, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foster Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Foster Heights Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 12% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 15% 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 Foster Heights Elementary School?
43.8% of students at Foster Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foster Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Foster Heights Elementary School is White at 84.4% of enrollment, in Bardstown, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foster Heights Elementary School?
Foster Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Foster Heights Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bardstown?
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Bardstown, 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 Bardstown on the city page.
Is Foster Heights Elementary School a good school?
Foster Heights Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Nelson County?
Besides Foster Heights Elementary School, Nelson County also operates Nelson County High School (756 students), Thomas Nelson High School (629 students), and Old Kentucky Home Middle School (594 students). See the Nelson 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.