SE Kentucky News

Knox Central High School had the highest enrollment among Knox County schools, welcoming 894 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 52.9% of them were boys, and 47.1% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 94.3% of Knox Central High School's total enrollment.

Among the 13 schools in Knox County, Barbourville City School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 741 students, while Central Elementary School welcomed 538 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 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.

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.

Data also shows that 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.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Knox Central High School	Barbourville	894
Barbourville City School	Barbourville	741
Central Elementary School	Barbourville	538
Knox County Middle School	Barbourville	491
Girdler Elementary School	Girdler	436
Jesse D. Lay Elementary School	Barbourville	372
G. R. Hampton Elementary School	Barbourville	319
Flat Lick Elementary School	Flat Lick	266
Dewitt Elementary School	Flat Lick	206
Knox Appalachian School	Barbourville	103
Knox County Learning Academy	Barbourville	97
Knox County Day Treatment	Barbourville	58
Knox Inspire Academy	Barbourville	1