SE Kentucky News

There were 14 African American students enrolled in Pineville Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 30% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Pineville Independent School District welcomed 641 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 2.2% of the student body to be one of the most represented ethnicities in the district.

Pineville Independent School District roughly covers one school within Bell County and has a main office in Pineville.

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.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total African American Students	African American %
2022-23	641	14	2.2%
2021-22	683	20	2.9%
2020-21	654	12	1.8%
2019-20	658	9	1.4%