SE Kentucky News

There were 794 white students enrolled in Owsley County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 5.1% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Owsley County School District welcomed 817 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, white students comprised 97.2% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Owsley County School District roughly covers two schools within Owsley County and has a main office in Booneville.

Among the two schools in Owsley County School District, Owsley County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 413 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 White Students	White %
2022-23	817	794	97.2%
2021-22	861	837	97.2%
2020-21	885	866	97.9%
2019-20	911	890	97.7%