Knox County’s schools’ student body predominantly white in 2023-24 school year

The majority of students in Knox County schools were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of the 4,712 students attending Knox County schools, 94.7% were white. Multiracial students were the second most represented ethnicity, making up 1.9%.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Knox County schools, representing 94.5% of the student body.

Barbourville City School, Lynn Camp Elementary School, and Knox Central High School had the most diverse student body in the county, which included African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, multiracial, and white students.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in schools in the county increased by 0.7% compared to the previous year.

Kentucky is in the midst of a statewide teacher shortage as turnover rates spiked to 10.9% in 2023, up from an 8.9% nine-year average. This issue is more prominent in schools with more low-income and minority students.

Between 2019 and 2023, there was an increase of 260% in the number of available teaching posts in Kentucky schools. This often leads to larger class sizes, combining programs, and retaining staff despite potential negative impacts on teacher working conditions.