SE Kentucky News

There were 35 African American students enrolled in Harlan Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 7.9% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Harlan Independent School District welcomed 904 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 3.9% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Harlan Independent School District roughly covers three schools within Harlan County and has a main office in Harlan.

Among the three schools in Harlan Independent School District, Harlan High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 23 students.

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	904	35	3.9%
2021-22	844	38	4.5%
2020-21	759	37	4.9%
2019-20	787	33	4.2%