Enrollment
51
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harrodsburg, KY
Mercer Central
Federal NCES profile for Mercer Central, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210411002285
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mercer Central earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Kentucky schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Harrodsburg · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.5:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Mercer Central has class sizes larger than 97% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mercer Central ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Harrodsburg, KY.
School address
District: Mercer County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210411002285 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mercer Central compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mercer Central
Mercer Central is a high-poverty, small high school in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, enrolling 51 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.5:1 is larger than about 97% of Kentucky schools and 68% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 77.8% of students qualify for free meals, 31% above the Kentucky average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 51 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 36 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #24.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 43/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 102 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Harrodsburg's high schools, it stands alongside Mercer County Senior High School (748 students): Mercer Central is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Mercer County also operates Mercer County Senior High School (748 students) and Mercer County Elementary School (713 students) alongside Mercer Central.
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 Mercer Central compares
Mercer Central on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.5:1 | ▲ 68% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▲ 31% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 51 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
51
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.5:1
students per teacher
- 68% above state mean
Top 97% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
37.3%
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
$12,578
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 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 72.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.6%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 2.0%
Largest group: White at 72.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, Mercer Central is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mercer County, which includes Mercer Central.
$12,578
Per student
-5%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.5%
State 52.8%
Federal 15.8%
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 Mercer Central Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mercer County Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenneth D. King Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mercer County Intermediate School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mercer County Day Treatment | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mercer Central's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 581
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- 5.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in Harrodsburg
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~51 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mercer Central's federal record.
- Compare Mercer Central against another school. Compare schools
- Mercer 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 Mercer Central
How many students attend Mercer Central?
Mercer Central has 51 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harrodsburg, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercer Central?
The student-teacher ratio at Mercer Central is 25.5:1, which is 68% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mercer Central?
77.8% of students at Mercer Central are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mercer Central?
The largest demographic group at Mercer Central is White at 72.5% of enrollment, in Harrodsburg, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mercer Central?
Mercer Central has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mercer Central rank among public schools in Harrodsburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Mercer Central ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Harrodsburg, 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 Harrodsburg on the city page.
Is Mercer Central a good school?
Mercer Central earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of 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 Mercer County?
Besides Mercer Central, Mercer County also operates Mercer County Senior High School (748 students), Mercer County Elementary School (713 students), and Kenneth D. King Middle School (581 students). See the Mercer 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.