Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center

Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center, a very small elementary campus in Barlow, Kentucky, operated by Ballard County, instructs 93 students, covering grade pre-K. Compared to the state average of about 421 students per school, that is 78% below typical.

Ballard County runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,015 students. Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center reports that the largest single group is White, at 78% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school shows 13% multiracial, 5% Black, 3% Hispanic. By comparison, Ballard County as a whole is about 92% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.6:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 15.4:1 average. An estimated 80% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Ballard County runs at roughly 59%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

In the surrounding community, Ballard County reports that median household earnings sit near $66,164, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center is one of 5 public schools in Ballard County (combined enrollment of about 1,015 students).

Ballard County Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center has contracted 31%, going from 135 students in 2018 to 93 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 89% to 78% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 33.8:1 in 2018 to 18.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart Center typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.