SE Kentucky News

Clay County High School had the highest enrollment among Clay County schools, welcoming 803 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.8% of them were boys, and 49.2% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 94.9% of Clay County High School's total enrollment.

Among the 10 schools in Clay County, Manchester Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 477 students, while Clay County Middle School welcomed 421 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Clay County High School is part of Clay County School District, which roughly covers schools within Clay County and has a main office in Manchester.

In the previous school year, Clay County High School also had the highest number of students among Clay County schools.

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, 13% of teacher vacancies in the state remained unfilled throughout the 2023-24 school year.

District leaders also raised concerns about applicant quality, with 49% saying candidates were similar to the previous year and 42% saying they were of lower quality.

Currently, after adjusting for inflation, the average teacher salary in Kentucky is nearly 20% lower than in 2008. State data shows teachers earn about $14,000 less in real terms.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Clay County High School	Manchester	803
Manchester Elementary School	Manchester	477
Clay County Middle School	Manchester	421
Burning Springs Elementary School	Manchester	349
Paces Creek Elementary School	Manchester	342
Hacker Elementary School	Manchester	287
Goose Rock Elementary School	Manchester	254
Big Creek Elementary School	Oneida	162
Horse Creek Learning Center	Manchester	150
Oneida Elementary School	Oneida	137