Enrollment
827
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Frankfort, KY
Western Hills High School
Federal NCES profile for Western Hills High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210201001420
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Hills High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Kentucky schools.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Frankfort · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 42.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Western Hills High School has class sizes larger than 87% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Frankfort, KY.
School address
District: Franklin County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210201001420 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.7%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Hills High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Western Hills High School
Western Hills High School is a large high school in Frankfort, Kentucky, enrolling 827 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 87% of Kentucky schools and 21% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 90% of state schools at 827 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 242 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 207 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 204 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 827 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Frankfort's high schools, it stands alongside Franklin County High School (990 students): Western Hills High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.4:1 vs 17.4:1).
Franklin County also operates Franklin County High School (990 students) and Elkhorn Middle School (725 students) alongside Western Hills 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 Western Hills High School compares
Western Hills 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.7% | ▼ 28% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 827 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
827
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$13,576
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 207 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
159
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.7 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 75.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 5.7%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Western Hills High School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Franklin County, which includes Western Hills High School.
$13,576
Per student
+3%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.4%
State 47.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Western Hills High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elkhorn Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bondurant Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Collins Lane | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hearn Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Western Hills High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 725
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 600
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Frankfort
3 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 (~827 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Western Hills High School's federal record.
- Compare Western Hills High School against another school. Compare schools
- Franklin 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 Western Hills High School
How many students attend Western Hills High School?
Western Hills High School has 827 students enrolled. It is a high school in Frankfort, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Hills High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Hills High School is 18.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Western Hills High School?
42.7% of students at Western Hills High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Hills High School?
The largest demographic group at Western Hills High School is White at 75.3% of enrollment, in Frankfort, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Hills High School?
Western Hills High School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Western Hills High School rank among high schools in Frankfort?
By Resource Investment Index, Western Hills High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Frankfort, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Frankfort on the city page.
Is Western Hills High School a good school?
Western Hills High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Franklin County?
Besides Western Hills High School, Franklin County also operates Franklin County High School (990 students), Elkhorn Middle School (725 students), and Bondurant Middle School (600 students). See the Franklin 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.