SE Kentucky News

There were two American Indian or Alaska Native students enrolled in Hazard Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 100% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Hazard Independent School District welcomed 1,115 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian or Alaska Native students comprised 0.2% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the district.

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

Among the three schools in Hazard Independent School District, Hazard High School was the only school that enrolled American Indian or Alaska Native students in the 2022-23 school 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.

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 American Indian or Alaska Native Students	American Indian or Alaska Native %
2022-23	1,115	2	0.2%
2021-22	1,073	1	0.1%
2020-21	1,013	3	0.3%
2019-20	1,050	3	0.3%