Enrollment
501
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Butler, KY
Northern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Northern Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 210474001160
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northern Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 50.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 501
- students enrolled
Northern Elementary School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Pendleton County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210474001160 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.7%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northern Elementary School
Northern Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Butler, Kentucky, enrolling 501 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 501 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kentucky median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 456 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #102.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 398 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pendleton County also operates Pendleton County High School (667 students) and Southern Elementary School (542 students) alongside Northern Elementary 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 Northern Elementary School compares
Northern Elementary 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.7% | ▼ 14% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
501
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 34% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,391
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 398 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 95.0%
Two or More 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.6, Northern Elementary School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pendleton County, which includes Northern Elementary School.
$11,391
Per student
-14%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 59.4%
Federal 16.6%
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 Northern Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phillip Sharp Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northern Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~501 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Northern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pendleton 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 Northern Elementary School
How many students attend Northern Elementary School?
Northern Elementary School has 501 students enrolled. It is a public school in Butler, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 9% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 11% 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 Northern Elementary School?
50.7% of students at Northern Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Northern Elementary School is White at 95.0% of enrollment, in Butler, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Elementary School?
Northern Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Northern Elementary School a good school?
Northern Elementary School earns 49/100 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 Pendleton County?
Besides Northern Elementary School, Pendleton County also operates Pendleton County High School (667 students), Southern Elementary School (542 students), and Phillip Sharp Middle School (420 students). See the Pendleton 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.