Enrollment
584
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 210299000764
Mcferran Preparatory Academy — Louisville, KY
Federal NCES profile for Mcferran Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Jefferson County · Kentucky
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.6:1 Kentucky avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.9%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcferran Preparatory Academy compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mcferran Preparatory Academy reports 584 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 41.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Kentucky state mean of 15.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 81.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 38% above the Kentucky average and 58% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 195 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jefferson County spends $19,590 per pupil district-wide, above the Kentucky average of $15,105 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 46.8% from local sources (property taxes), 30.9% from the state, and 22.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcferran Preparatory Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Kentucky state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.9% | ▲ 38% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 584 | top 73% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
81.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 38% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 77% in Kentucky — lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,590
per pupil, district-wide
— above Kentucky avg of $15,105
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 195 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 584 Top 73% in Kentucky — larger than 27% of 1,395 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 41.0
Students per teacher 16.9:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 81.9% +38% vs state
NCES ID 210299000764
Student demographics
African American 78.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
White 5.1%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 78.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 195:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.0%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County, which includes Mcferran Preparatory Academy.
$19,590
Per student
+30%
vs Kentucky
Avg $15,105
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 46.8%
State 30.9%
Federal 22.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,892
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,790
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,777
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
Similar other schools in Louisville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Marion C. Moore School
Standard public school
1,892 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
The Academy @ Shawnee
Standard public school
1,051 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Pathfinder School of Innovation
Alternative education program
918 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
J. Graham Brown School
Standard public school
800 students 16:1 students per teacher
Tully Elementary
Standard public school
791 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Stopher Elementary
Standard public school
781 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mcferran Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Mcferran Preparatory Academy?
Mcferran Preparatory Academy has 584 students enrolled. It is a other school in Louisville, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcferran Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcferran Preparatory Academy is 16.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcferran Preparatory Academy?
81.9% of students at Mcferran Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcferran Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mcferran Preparatory Academy is African American at 78.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Louisville, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcferran Preparatory Academy?
Mcferran Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.