Public schools in Owensboro, KY
35 open public schools with an address in Owensboro, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
35
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
15,152
35 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.8:1
Kentucky median 15:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Owensboro public schools
The federal directory lists 35 public schools in Owensboro, KY: 16 elementary, 5 middle, 10 high, 4 combined or other. The 35 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 15,152 students, an average of 433 per school. The largest campus is Daviess County High School (1,750 students), and the largest elementary school is Tamarack Elementary School (564).
Daviess County operates the most schools here (22), and 2 regular districts have at least one Owensboro campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.8:1, higher than the statewide school median of 15:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 7 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 3 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 62% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Owensboro
Elementary schools in Owensboro
16| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 408 | 14.8:1 | |
| Country Heights Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 462 | 16.2:1 | |
| Cravens Elementary School Owensboro Independent | KG–05 | 396 | 13.3:1 | |
| Deer Park Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 480 | 18.8:1 | |
| East View Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 440 | 16.3:1 | |
| Estes Elementary School Owensboro Independent | PK–05 | 492 | 13.5:1 | |
| F T Burns Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 440 | 16.3:1 | |
| Foust Elementary School Owensboro Independent | KG–05 | 400 | 12.1:1 | |
| Highland Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 440 | 15.7:1 | |
| Meadow Lands Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 479 | 17.7:1 | |
| Newton Parrish Elementary School Owensboro Independent | KG–05 | 545 | 14.9:1 | |
| Sorgho Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 341 | 13.4:1 | |
| Sutton Elementary School Owensboro Independent | KG–05 | 535 | 16.2:1 | |
| Tamarack Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 564 | 16.5:1 | |
| Valley Elementary School Daviess County · Alternative School | KG–08 | 19 | 2.7:1 | |
| West Louisville Elementary School Daviess County | PK–05 | 319 | 15.2:1 |
Middle schools in Owensboro
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| College View Middle School Daviess County | 06–08 | 821 | 15.9:1 | |
| Daviess County Middle School Daviess County | 06–08 | 870 | 16.5:1 | |
| F T Burns Middle School Daviess County | 06–08 | 757 | 14.9:1 | |
| Owensboro Innovation Middle School Owensboro Independent | 06–08 | 311 | 16.3:1 | |
| Owensboro Middle School Owensboro Independent | 06–08 | 790 | 12.7:1 |
High schools in Owensboro
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo High School Daviess County | 09–12 | 1,265 | 16.2:1 | |
| Daviess County High School Daviess County | 09–12 | 1,750 | 20.6:1 | |
| Emerson Academy Owensboro Independent · Alternative School | 09–12 | 104 | 10.4:1 | |
| Heritage Park High School Daviess County · Alternative School | 09–12 | 140 | 9.3:1 | |
| Owensboro Day Treatment Daviess County · Alternative School | 07–12 | 14 | 4.7:1 | |
| Owensboro High School Owensboro Independent | 09–12 | 1,342 | 16.6:1 | |
| Owensboro Innovation Academy Owensboro Independent · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| The Center for Academic Improvement Daviess County · Alternative School | 06–12 | 17 | 17:1 | |
| Valley High School Daviess County · Alternative School | 09–12 | 16 | 16:1 | |
| Virtual Academy Daviess County · Alternative School | 06–12 | 75 | 75:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Owensboro
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hager Preschool Owensboro Independent | PK–PK | 120 | 9.9:1 | |
| Kentucky TECH - Daviess County Campus Daviess County · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — | |
| Kentucky TECH - Owensboro Campus Owensboro Independent · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — | |
| Owensboro Technical College Owensboro Independent · Career and Technical School | UG–UG | 0 | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White68.3%
- Hispanic11.3%
- Black7.3%
- Asian4.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial8.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 31 Owensboro schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (15,152 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Owensboro
How many public schools are in Owensboro, KY?
The current NCES directory lists 35 open public schools with a location address in Owensboro: 16 elementary, 5 middle, 10 high, 4 combined or other. Together they reported 15,152 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Owensboro?
Schools with an address in Owensboro belong to 2 education agencies, led by Daviess County (22 schools), Owensboro Independent (13 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Owensboro?
Daviess County High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Owensboro, with 1,750 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Owensboro?
No school with an address in Owensboro is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Kentucky.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Owensboro schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Owensboro public schools is 15.8:1, higher than the Kentucky school median of 15:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Owensboro guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Kentucky cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Kentucky cities