SE Kentucky News

Letcher County Central High School had the highest enrollment among Letcher County schools, welcoming 750 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, 55.3% of them were boys, and 44.7% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 96.7% of Letcher County Central High School's total enrollment.

Among the 10 schools in Letcher County, Jenkins Independent School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 533 students, while West Whitesburg Elementary School welcomed 470 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

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

In the previous school year, Letcher County Central High School also had the highest number of students among Letcher 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
Letcher County Central High School	Whitesburg	750
Jenkins Independent School	Jenkins	533
West Whitesburg Elementary School	Whitesburg	470
Letcher Elementary & Middle School	Blackey	365
Martha Jane Potter Elementary School	Whitesburg	304
Cowan Elementary School	Whitesburg	276
Whitesburg Middle School	Whitesburg	201
Fleming Neon Middle School	Neon	148
Arlie Boggs Elementary School	Eolia	139
Letcher County Alternative Education Center	Whitesburg	21