Enrollment
720
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Barbourville, KY
Knox Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Knox Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210315000847
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 76
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Knox Central High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #5 of 10
- public schools in Barbourville · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 75.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Knox Central High School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Knox Central High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Barbourville, KY.
School address
District: Knox County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210315000847 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.7%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Knox Central High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Knox Central High School
Knox Central High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Barbourville, Kentucky, enrolling 720 students.
At 14.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kentucky median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 720 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 216 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 120 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 167 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 720 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Knox County also operates Knox County Middle School (522 students) and Lynn Camp Elementary School (501 students) alongside Knox 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 Knox Central High School compares
Knox 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.7% | ▲ 28% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 720 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
720
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 41% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
59.2%
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
$15,050
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 120 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.2 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 96.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
Two or More 1.1%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 96.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.8, Knox Central High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knox County, which includes Knox Central High School.
$15,050
Per student
+14%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.7%
State 62.4%
Federal 25.9%
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 Knox Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lynn Camp Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lynn Camp Middle High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jesse D Lay Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Knox Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 313
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~720 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Knox Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Knox Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Knox 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 Knox Central High School
How many students attend Knox Central High School?
Knox Central High School has 720 students enrolled. It is a high school in Barbourville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Knox Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Knox Central High School is 14.4:1, which is 5% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 8% 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 Knox Central High School?
75.7% of students at Knox Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Knox Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Knox Central High School is White at 96.0% of enrollment, in Barbourville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Knox Central High School?
Knox Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Knox Central High School rank among public schools in Barbourville?
By Resource Investment Index, Knox Central High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Barbourville, 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 Barbourville on the city page.
Is Knox Central High School a good school?
Knox Central High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. 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 Knox County?
Besides Knox Central High School, Knox County also operates Knox County Middle School (522 students), Lynn Camp Elementary School (501 students), and Lynn Camp Middle High School (447 students). See the Knox 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.