operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 2104590
Owensboro Independent
Owensboro, KY
Students4,970
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictKYUnited States
Academic standing2025
42nd percentile45th percentile45th percentileThis district is 3 percentile points lower than the state figure and 3 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
24.6%28.0%27.8%This district is 3.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$17,224$17,443$19,509This district is $219 per student lower than the state figure and $2,285 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$16,080$14,633$15,859This district is $1,447 per student higher than the state figure and $221 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$983$1,976$1,964This district is $993 per student lower than the state figure and $981 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$118$410$336This district is $292 per student lower than the state figure and $218 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,941$1,627$1,793This district is $314 per student higher than the state figure and $148 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$8,446$7,435$8,742This district is $1,011 per student higher than the state figure and $296 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$5,212$4,663$3,769This district is $549 per student higher than the state figure and $1,443 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$8,133$9,063$11,715This district is $930 per student lower than the state figure and $3,582 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$635$841$869This district is $206 per student lower than the state figure and $234 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
13:115:115:1This district is 2.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 2.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
292:1328:1376:1This district is 36 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 84 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
174.2150.5138.9This district is 23.7 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 35.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
27.219.718.5This district is 7.5 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 8.7 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.00.70.9This district is 0.3 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.7%99.1%99.0%This district is 0.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
2.0%1.3%2.6%This district is 0.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
2.9%3.9%2.9%This district is 1.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
5.9%6.0%12.0%This district is 0.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
15.0%15.6%14.0%This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
6.7%3.1%3.9%This district is 3.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
99.9%98.4%95.8%This district is 1.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+0.7%+0.4%+0.5%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
68.0%56.8%50.6%This district is 11.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 17.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
6.9%5.5%4.5%This district is 1.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
14.2%8.1%9.0%This district is 6.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 5.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
0.6%4.4%6.7%This district is 3.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
23.0%17.5%14.4%This district is 5.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 8.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K142 students
2.9%Kindergarten–grade 52,296 students
46.2%Grades 6–81,105 students
22.2%Grades 9–121,425 students
28.7%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten142
Kindergarten391
Grade 1456
Grade 2399
Grade 3342
Grade 4366
Grade 5342
Grade 6372
Grade 7365
Grade 8368
Grade 9401
Grade 10359
Grade 11372
Grade 12293
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers11 FTE
Kindergarten teachers22 FTE
Elementary teachers181 FTE
Secondary teachers90 FTE
Ungraded teachers74.6 FTE
Instructional coordinators19 FTE
District administrators8 FTE
District administrative support24 FTE
School administrative support38 FTE
Library and media support2 FTE
Other support staff159 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
5.9%Students learning English276 students · 8 of 9 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
15.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services713 students · 9 of 9 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
6.7%Students with Section 504 plans321 students · 9 of 9 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.4%English learners also receiving IDEA services20 students · 9 of 9 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in KY receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Barren CountyLucas, KY5,072 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Meade CountyBrandenburg, KY4,930 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Campbell CountyAlexandria, KY5,180 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Clark CountyWinchester, KY5,390 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Montgomery CountyMount Sterling, KY4,510 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Students not economically disadvantaged1,112 assessments
59 out of 100White students2,516 assessments
50 out of 100Fem2,070 assessments
45 out of 100Mal2,392 assessments
40 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students3,350 assessments
37 out of 100Black students321 assessments
32 out of 100Hispanic students616 assessments
31 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$15,009
→FY 2023$16,080
FY 2022$1,539
→FY 2023$983
FY 2022$8,955
→FY 2023$8,133
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
3,815 of 4,728 students
1,371 of 4,746 students
1,205 of 4,889 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I2 reporting schools
50%
Calculus2 reporting schools
50%
Biology2 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry2 reporting schools
50%
Physics2 reporting schools
50%
Computer science2 reporting schools
50%
Advanced Placement2 reporting schools
50%
Dual enrollment2 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs10 reporting schools
90%
International Baccalaureate2 reporting schools
0%
Athletics2 reporting schools
50%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
358Out-of-school suspensions9 reporting schoolsSee schools →667In-school suspensions9 reporting schoolsSee schools →8Law-enforcement referrals9 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests9 reporting schoolsSee schools →57Physical restraint5 reporting schoolsSee schools →24Seclusion2 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?24.6% chronically absent2022–23 · 4,889 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?7 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$16,080current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?292:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →