Knox Central High School in Knox County welcomed most students in 2023-24 school year

Knox Central High School had the highest enrollment among Knox County schools, welcoming 813 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.3% of them were girls, and 49.7% were boys.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 96.4% of Knox Central High School’s total enrollment.

Among the 16 schools in Knox County, Barbourville City School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 809 students, while Lynn Camp Elementary School welcomed 602 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Knox Central High School is part of Knox County School District, which roughly covers schools within Knox County and has a main office in Barbourville.

In the previous school year, Knox Central High School also had the highest number of students among Knox County schools.

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, 13% of teacher vacancies in the state remained unfilled throughout the 2023-24 school year.

District leaders also raised concerns about applicant quality, with 49% saying candidates were similar to the previous year and 42% saying they were of lower quality.

Currently, after adjusting for inflation, the average teacher salary in Kentucky is nearly 20% lower than in 2008. State data shows teachers earn about $14,000 less in real terms.