Enrollment
304
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ashland, KY
Poage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Poage Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 210015000029
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poage Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Kentucky schools.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Ashland · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Kentucky
- 61.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Poage Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poage Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Ashland, KY.
School address
District: Ashland Independent · Kentucky
NCES ID 210015000029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.9%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poage Elementary School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poage Elementary School
Poage Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ashland, Kentucky, enrolling 304 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.9% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 304 puts it in the smaller third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 308 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ashland's elementary schools, it stands alongside Summit Elementary School (425 students): Poage Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.7:1 vs 10.6:1).
Ashland Independent also operates Paul G. Blazer High School (821 students) and Ashland Middle School (671 students) alongside Poage 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 Poage Elementary School compares
Poage 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.9% | ▲ 5% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 304 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
304
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 17% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$11,952
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 90.1%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 90.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.5, Poage 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 Ashland Independent, which includes Poage Elementary School.
$11,952
Per student
-10%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.9%
State 56.6%
Federal 21.5%
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 Poage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul G. Blazer High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ashland Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hager Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crabbe Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oakview Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary schools in Ashland
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Summit Elementary School
Standard public school
425 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Hager Elementary School
Standard public school
344 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Cannonsburg Elementary School
Standard public school
272 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Crabbe Elementary School
Standard public school
270 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Oakview Elementary School
Standard public school
267 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Charles Russell Elementary School
Standard public school
202 students 9.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~304 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Poage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ashland Independent'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 Poage Elementary School
How many students attend Poage Elementary School?
Poage Elementary School has 304 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ashland, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Poage Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 23% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 25% 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 Poage Elementary School?
61.9% of students at Poage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Poage Elementary School is White at 90.1% of enrollment, in Ashland, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poage Elementary School?
Poage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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).
How does Poage Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Ashland?
By Resource Investment Index, Poage Elementary School ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Ashland, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ashland on the city page.
Is Poage Elementary School a good school?
Poage Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Ashland Independent?
Besides Poage Elementary School, Ashland Independent also operates Paul G. Blazer High School (821 students), Ashland Middle School (671 students), and Hager Elementary School (344 students). See the Ashland Independent 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.