Enrollment
888
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Paintsville, KY
Johnson Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Johnson Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210306000802
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Johnson Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Kentucky schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Paintsville · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 57.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Johnson Central High School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Johnson Central High School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Paintsville, KY.
School address
District: Johnson County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210306000802 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Johnson Central High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Johnson Central High School
Johnson Central High School is a higher-need, large high school in Paintsville, Kentucky, enrolling 888 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.5% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 92% of state schools at 888 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 282 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #76.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 222 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Johnson County also operates Johnson County Middle School (449 students) and Porter Elementary School (431 students) alongside Johnson Central High 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 Johnson Central High School compares
Johnson Central High 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 19% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.5% | ▼ 3% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 888 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
888
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 20% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$13,528
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 222 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 96.7%
Two or More 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 96.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.5, Johnson Central High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnson County, which includes Johnson Central High School.
$13,528
Per student
+2%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.7%
State 66.7%
Federal 20.7%
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 Johnson Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Porter Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W R Castle Memorial Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Johnson Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high 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 (~888 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Johnson Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Johnson Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Johnson 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 Johnson Central High School
How many students attend Johnson Central High School?
Johnson Central High School has 888 students enrolled. It is a high school in Paintsville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnson Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Johnson Central High School is 12.3:1, which is 19% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 22% 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 Johnson Central High School?
57.5% of students at Johnson Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Johnson Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Johnson Central High School is White at 96.7% of enrollment, in Paintsville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Johnson Central High School?
Johnson Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Johnson Central High School rank among public schools in Paintsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Johnson Central High School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Paintsville, 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 Paintsville on the city page.
Is Johnson Central High School a good school?
Johnson Central High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Johnson County?
Besides Johnson Central High School, Johnson County also operates Johnson County Middle School (449 students), Porter Elementary School (431 students), and Highland Elementary School (392 students). See the Johnson 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.