Enrollment
650
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, KY
Kenton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kenton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210309000813
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kenton Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Kenton Elementary School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kenton Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Independence, KY.
School address
District: Kenton County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210309000813 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kenton Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kenton Elementary School
Kenton Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Kentucky, enrolling 650 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 38.3% free-meal eligibility runs 35% below the Kentucky average.
Enrollment of 650 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 254 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #70.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 650 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Independence's public schools, it stands alongside Summit View Academy (1,324 students): Kenton Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 16:1).
Kenton County also operates Simon Kenton High School (1,893 students) and Dixie Heights High School (1,499 students) alongside Kenton 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 Kenton Elementary School compares
Kenton 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.3% | ▼ 35% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 650 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
650
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,968
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 650 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 86.6%
Two or More 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
African American 3.1%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.4, Kenton 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 Kenton County, which includes Kenton Elementary School.
$10,968
Per student
-17%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 46.0%
Federal 11.8%
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 Kenton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Kenton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie Heights High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Summit View Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scott High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Turkey Foot Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kenton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,893
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,499
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Independence
3 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 (~650 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kenton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kenton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Kenton 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 Kenton Elementary School
How many students attend Kenton Elementary School?
Kenton Elementary School has 650 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kenton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kenton Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 7% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kenton Elementary School?
38.3% of students at Kenton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kenton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kenton Elementary School is White at 86.6% of enrollment, in Independence, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kenton Elementary School?
Kenton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Kenton Elementary School rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Kenton Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Independence, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Kenton Elementary School a good school?
Kenton Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. 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 Kenton County?
Besides Kenton Elementary School, Kenton County also operates Simon Kenton High School (1,893 students), Dixie Heights High School (1,499 students), and Summit View Academy (1,324 students). See the Kenton 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.