Enrollment
277
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Harlan, KY
James a. Cawood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James a. Cawood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210254000541
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James a. Cawood Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Kentucky schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Harlan · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 84.4%
- free-lunch eligible
James a. Cawood Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Cawood Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Harlan, KY.
School address
District: Harlan County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210254000541 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.4%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James a. Cawood Elementary compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at James a. Cawood Elementary
James a. Cawood Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Harlan, Kentucky, enrolling 277 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, James a. Cawood Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of Kentucky schools and 30% under the state's 15.2:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 84.4% of students qualify for free meals, 43% above the Kentucky average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 277 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 126 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #62.
Its student body is predominantly White (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Harlan's public schools, it stands alongside Harlan High School (455 students): James a. Cawood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 18.2:1).
Harlan County also operates Harlan County High School (945 students) and Cumberland Elementary School (428 students) alongside James a. Cawood 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 James a. Cawood Elementary compares
James a. Cawood 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.4% | ▲ 43% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 12% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.8%
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
$13,772
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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 98.6%
African American 0.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 98.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.8, James a. Cawood Elementary is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlan County, which includes James a. Cawood Elementary.
$13,772
Per student
+4%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.7%
State 60.1%
Federal 27.2%
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 James a. Cawood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cumberland Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rosspoint Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wallins Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evarts Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James a. Cawood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Harlan
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~277 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James a. Cawood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James a. Cawood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harlan 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 James a. Cawood Elementary
How many students attend James a. Cawood Elementary?
James a. Cawood Elementary has 277 students enrolled. It is a public school in Harlan, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James a. Cawood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James a. Cawood Elementary is 10.7:1, which is 30% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 32% 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 James a. Cawood Elementary?
84.4% of students at James a. Cawood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James a. Cawood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James a. Cawood Elementary is White at 98.6% of enrollment, in Harlan, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James a. Cawood Elementary?
James a. Cawood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 James a. Cawood Elementary rank among schools in Harlan?
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Cawood Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Harlan, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Harlan on the city page.
Is James a. Cawood Elementary a good school?
James a. Cawood Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Harlan County?
Besides James a. Cawood Elementary, Harlan County also operates Harlan County High School (945 students), Cumberland Elementary School (428 students), and Rosspoint Elementary School (369 students). See the Harlan 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.