Enrollment
692
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Whitesburg, KY
Letcher County Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Letcher County Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210336001998
👥 S:T ratio 49
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Letcher County Central High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Kentucky schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Whitesburg · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Letcher County Central High School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Letcher County Central High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Whitesburg, KY.
School address
District: Letcher County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210336001998 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Letcher County Central High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Letcher County Central High School
Letcher County Central High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Whitesburg, Kentucky, enrolling 692 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 692 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 432 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #300.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 74.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 146 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 692 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Letcher County also operates West Whitesburg Elementary School (462 students) and Letcher Elementary & Middle School (322 students) alongside Letcher County 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 Letcher County Central High School compares
Letcher County 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 4% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 692 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
692
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 23% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
74.3%
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
$14,514
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.1 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 97.0%
Two or More 1.4%
African American 0.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: White at 97.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.9, Letcher County Central High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Letcher County, which includes Letcher County Central High School.
$14,514
Per student
+10%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.9%
State 63.9%
Federal 22.2%
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 Letcher County Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Whitesburg Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Letcher Elementary & Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martha Jane Potter Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cowan Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitesburg Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Letcher County Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 246
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 191
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~692 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Letcher County Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Letcher County Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Letcher 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 Letcher County Central High School
How many students attend Letcher County Central High School?
Letcher County Central High School has 692 students enrolled. It is a high school in Whitesburg, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Letcher County Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Letcher County Central High School is 12.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 18% 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 Letcher County Central High School?
61.5% of students at Letcher County Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Letcher County Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Letcher County Central High School is White at 97.0% of enrollment, in Whitesburg, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Letcher County Central High School?
Letcher County Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Letcher County Central High School rank among public schools in Whitesburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Letcher County Central High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Whitesburg, 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 Whitesburg on the city page.
Is Letcher County Central High School a good school?
Letcher County Central High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Letcher County?
Besides Letcher County Central High School, Letcher County also operates West Whitesburg Elementary School (462 students), Letcher Elementary & Middle School (322 students), and Martha Jane Potter Elementary School (273 students). See the Letcher 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.