Enrollment
260
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salyersville, KY
Herald Whitaker Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Herald Whitaker Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210375001618
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 74
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Herald Whitaker Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Salyersville · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 70.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Herald Whitaker Middle School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Herald Whitaker Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Salyersville, KY.
School address
District: Magoffin County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210375001618 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.8%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Herald Whitaker Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Herald Whitaker Middle School
Herald Whitaker Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Salyersville, Kentucky, enrolling 260 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 260 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 211 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #74.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 130 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Magoffin County also operates Magoffin County High School (538 students) and Salyersville Grade School (479 students) alongside Herald Whitaker Middle 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 Herald Whitaker Middle School compares
Herald Whitaker Middle 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.8% | ▲ 20% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
11.8:1
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
61.9%
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
$12,298
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 130 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 96.5%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Largest group: White at 96.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.8, Herald Whitaker Middle School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Magoffin County, which includes Herald Whitaker Middle School.
$12,298
Per student
-7%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.3%
State 64.8%
Federal 23.9%
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 Herald Whitaker Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magoffin County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salyersville Grade School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Magoffin Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Magoffin Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Herald Whitaker Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle 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 (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Herald Whitaker Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Herald Whitaker Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Magoffin 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 Herald Whitaker Middle School
How many students attend Herald Whitaker Middle School?
Herald Whitaker Middle School has 260 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salyersville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Herald Whitaker Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Herald Whitaker Middle School is 11.8:1, which is 22% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 25% 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 Herald Whitaker Middle School?
70.8% of students at Herald Whitaker Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Herald Whitaker Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Herald Whitaker Middle School is White at 96.5% of enrollment, in Salyersville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Herald Whitaker Middle School?
Herald Whitaker Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Herald Whitaker Middle School rank among public schools in Salyersville?
By Resource Investment Index, Herald Whitaker Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Salyersville, 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 Salyersville on the city page.
Is Herald Whitaker Middle School a good school?
Herald Whitaker Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kentucky schools. It is also less 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 Magoffin County?
Besides Herald Whitaker Middle School, Magoffin County also operates Magoffin County High School (538 students), Salyersville Grade School (479 students), and North Magoffin Elementary (417 students). See the Magoffin 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.