SE Kentucky News

West Perry Elementary School had the highest enrollment among Perry County schools, welcoming 956 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, 51.7% of them were boys, and 48.3% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 96.7% of West Perry Elementary School's total enrollment.

Among the 13 schools in Perry County, Perry County Central High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 936 students, while East Perry County Elementary School welcomed 821 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

West Perry Elementary School is part of Perry County School District, which roughly covers schools within Perry County and has a main office in Hazard.

In the previous school year, Perry County Central High School had the highest number of students among Perry 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
West Perry Elementary School	Hazard	956
Perry County Central High School	Hazard	936
East Perry County Elementary School	Hazard	821
Robert W. Combs Elementary School	Happy	489
Roy G. Eversole Elementary School	Hazard	475
Buckhorn School	Buckhorn	404
Hazard High School	Hazard	368
Robinson Elementary School	Ary	297
Viper Elementary School	Viper	296
Hazard Middle School	Hazard	267
Leatherwood Elementary School	Leatherwood	191
Learning Academy	Hazard	108
Perry County Alternative School	Hazard	26