Enrollment
1,893
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Independence, KY
Simon Kenton High School
Federal NCES profile for Simon Kenton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210309000818
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Simon Kenton High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 33.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Simon Kenton High School has class sizes larger than 96% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Simon Kenton High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Independence, KY.
School address
District: Kenton County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210309000818 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+48% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.2%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Simon Kenton High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Simon Kenton High School
Simon Kenton High School is a large high school in Independence, Kentucky, enrolling 1,893 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Kentucky schools and 48% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 33.2% free-meal eligibility runs 44% below the Kentucky average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,893 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 473 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 460 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,893 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Kenton County also operates Dixie Heights High School (1,499 students) and Summit View Academy (1,324 students) alongside Simon Kenton High 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 Simon Kenton High School compares
Simon Kenton High 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 48% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.2% | ▼ 44% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,893 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,893
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 48% above state mean
Top 96% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,968
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 473 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
299
in-school suspensions + 161 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.3 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 87.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Simon Kenton High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kenton County, which includes Simon Kenton High School.
$10,968
Per student
-17%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 46.0%
Federal 11.8%
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 Simon Kenton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie Heights High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Summit View Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scott High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Turkey Foot Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Simon Kenton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,499
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 889
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~1,893 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Simon Kenton High School's federal record.
- Compare Simon Kenton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kenton 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 Simon Kenton High School
How many students attend Simon Kenton High School?
Simon Kenton High School has 1,893 students enrolled. It is a high school in Independence, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Simon Kenton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Simon Kenton High School is 22.5:1, which is 48% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Simon Kenton High School?
33.2% of students at Simon Kenton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Simon Kenton High School?
The largest demographic group at Simon Kenton High School is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in Independence, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Simon Kenton High School?
Simon Kenton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Simon Kenton High School rank among public schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Simon Kenton High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Independence, 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 Independence on the city page.
Is Simon Kenton High School a good school?
Simon Kenton High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky. 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 Kenton County?
Besides Simon Kenton High School, Kenton County also operates Dixie Heights High School (1,499 students), Summit View Academy (1,324 students), and Scott High School (1,017 students). See the Kenton 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.