Public schools in Kentucky

The NCES directory lists 1,550 public schools operating in Kentucky in 2024-25; 1,381 of them reported 649,844 students, averaging 15.4 students per teacher, tied for 15th with Oklahoma of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Jefferson County Public Schools, with 93,725 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,381717 elementary, 217 middle, 349 high, 98 other
Students649,8441.3% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher15.4U.S. 15.3

Kentucky has more students per teacher than the U.S. average

Kentucky ranks 15th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. North Carolina16.2
  2. Colorado15.8
  3. Alaska15.6
  4. Kentucky15.4
  5. Oklahoma15.4
  6. Indiana15.2
  7. Delaware14.6

Eight in ten larger Kentucky districts spent between $12,352 and $16,011 per student

Among the 137 Kentucky districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $12,352 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $16,011; the median was $13,912. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Kentucky districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23137 values from $11,933 to $22,298; ; state median $13,912.$12,352$16,011the middle eight in ten2 more above $20,000 →$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23137 values from $11,933 to $22,298; ; state median $13,912.$12,352$16,011the middle eight in ten2 more above $20,000 →$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23137 values from $11,933 to $22,298; ; state median $13,912.$12,352$16,011the middle eight in ten2 more above $20,000 →$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23137 values from $11,933 to $22,298; ; state median $13,912.$12,352$16,011the middle eight in ten2 more above $20,000 →$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,912

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 46.4% of the Kentucky students tested met the state's reading standard and 38.4% its math standard. Kentucky writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Kentucky's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 91.4% of 49,023 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Kentucky almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Lafayette High School, 2,370 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Liberty High, 3.5 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Newport Independent, $22,298 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Jefferson County Public Schools, $73,395 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Bavel, 0.8% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Frakes School Center, 66 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Barbourville Independent, 63 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Kentucky

  1. Jefferson County Public Schools93,725
  2. Fayette County Public Schools42,138
  3. Boone County Schools20,514
  4. Warren County Public Schools18,559
  5. Hardin County14,460
  6. Kenton County School District13,834
  7. Bullitt County Public Schools13,007
  8. Oldham County Schools11,966

Every Kentucky school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Louisville86,292 students157 schools
  2. Lexington42,175 students74 schools
  3. Bowling Green21,659 students36 schools
  4. Owensboro15,152 students31 schools
  5. Ashland6,073 students18 schools
  6. Paducah8,880 students17 schools
  7. Frankfort7,121 students17 schools
  8. Elizabethtown7,257 students17 schools
  9. London7,404 students15 schools
  10. Glasgow6,604 students15 schools
  11. Georgetown9,412 students15 schools
  12. Somerset8,459 students14 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Kentucky's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Kentucky?
    The NCES directory lists 1,550 operating in 2024-25; 1,381 of them reported students: 717 elementary, 217 middle, 349 high and 98 other, enrolling 649,844 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Kentucky?
    15.4 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Kentucky?
    Jefferson County Public Schools, with 93,725 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Kentucky spend per public-school student?
    $14,633 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .