Enrollment
317
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Louisville, KY
Foster Traditional Academy
Federal NCES profile for Foster Traditional Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210299000745
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foster Traditional Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Kentucky schools.
- #27 of 51
- elementary schools in Louisville · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.9:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 81.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Foster Traditional Academy has class sizes smaller than 87% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Traditional Academy ranks #27 of 51 elementary schools in Louisville, KY.
School address
District: Jefferson County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210299000745 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foster Traditional Academy compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foster Traditional Academy
Foster Traditional Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky, enrolling 317 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.9:1, Foster Traditional Academy is leaner than roughly 87% of Kentucky schools and 28% under the state's 15.2:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 81.5% of students qualify for free meals, 38% above the Kentucky average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 184 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #99.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.1% 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.
Among Louisville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fern Creek Elementary (744 students): Foster Traditional Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.9:1 vs 17.3:1).
Jefferson County also operates Ballard High (2,148 students) and Dupont Manual High (1,899 students) alongside Foster Traditional Academy.
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 Traditional Academy compares
Foster Traditional Academy on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.9:1 | ▼ 28% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.5% | ▲ 38% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 13% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
68.1%
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
$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 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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
African American 93.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
White 1.6%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 93.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.6, Foster Traditional Academy is less 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 Foster Traditional Academy.
$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 Foster Traditional Academy 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marion C. Moore School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pleasure Ridge Park High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foster Traditional Academy'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 in Louisville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Fern Creek Elementary
Standard public school
744 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Bowen Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Norton Elementary
Standard public school
716 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Goldsmith Elementary
Standard public school
651 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Indian Trail Elementary
Standard public school
649 students 18:1 students per teacher
Wheeler Elementary
Standard public school
626 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~317 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foster Traditional Academy's federal record.
- Compare Foster Traditional Academy 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 Foster Traditional Academy
How many students attend Foster Traditional Academy?
Foster Traditional Academy has 317 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Louisville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foster Traditional Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Foster Traditional Academy is 10.9:1, which is 28% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 31% 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 Traditional Academy?
81.5% of students at Foster Traditional Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foster Traditional Academy?
The largest demographic group at Foster Traditional Academy is African American at 93.4% of enrollment, in Louisville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foster Traditional Academy?
Foster Traditional Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Foster Traditional Academy rank among elementary schools in Louisville?
By Resource Investment Index, Foster Traditional Academy ranks #27 of 51 elementary schools in Louisville, 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 Louisville on the city page.
Is Foster Traditional Academy a good school?
Foster Traditional Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Jefferson County?
Besides Foster Traditional Academy, 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.