Enrollment
527
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beechmont, KY
Muhlenberg South Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Muhlenberg South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210008101967
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Muhlenberg South Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 64.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 527
- students enrolled
Muhlenberg South Elementary has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Muhlenberg County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210008101967 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.0%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Muhlenberg South Elementary compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Muhlenberg South Elementary
Muhlenberg South Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Beechmont, Kentucky, enrolling 527 students.
At 15.1:1, 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 64.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 527 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.
Among 492 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #368, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 527 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Muhlenberg County also operates Muhlenberg County High School (1,123 students) and Muhlenberg North Middle (871 students) alongside Muhlenberg South Elementary.
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 Muhlenberg South Elementary compares
Muhlenberg South Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.0% | ▲ 8% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 527 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
527
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 52% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$13,929
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 527 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 94.5%
Two or More 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 94.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.6, Muhlenberg South Elementary is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muhlenberg County, which includes Muhlenberg South Elementary.
$13,929
Per student
+5%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.4%
State 48.4%
Federal 20.2%
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 Muhlenberg South Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muhlenberg County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muhlenberg North Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenville Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muhlenberg South Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central City Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Muhlenberg South Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,123
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~527 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Muhlenberg South Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Muhlenberg South Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Muhlenberg 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 Muhlenberg South Elementary
How many students attend Muhlenberg South Elementary?
Muhlenberg South Elementary has 527 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beechmont, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Muhlenberg South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Muhlenberg South Elementary is 15.1:1, which is 1% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 4% 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 Muhlenberg South Elementary?
64.0% of students at Muhlenberg South Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Muhlenberg South Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Muhlenberg South Elementary is White at 94.5% of enrollment, in Beechmont, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Muhlenberg South Elementary?
Muhlenberg South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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).
Is Muhlenberg South Elementary a good school?
Muhlenberg South Elementary earns 36/100 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 Muhlenberg County?
Besides Muhlenberg South Elementary, Muhlenberg County also operates Muhlenberg County High School (1,123 students), Muhlenberg North Middle (871 students), and Greenville Elementary School (620 students). See the Muhlenberg 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.