The majority of students in Nelson County’s school districts were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.
Of the 7,635 students attending schools in Nelson County’s school districts, 80.7% were white. Multiracial students constituted the second-largest ethnic group in the county, accounting for 7.3%.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Nelson County’s school districts, representing 82.1% of the student body.
Bardstown Independent School District had the most diverse student body in the county, which included Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, multiracial, and white.
In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county dropped to 0.4% compared to the previous year.
The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Nelson County.
Despite ongoing efforts to address educational disparities, Kentucky’s achievement gaps persist. In the 2024 eighth-grade reading assessments, for example, Black students scored 24 points lower than their white peers, while Hispanic students were 19 points behind. In mathematics, the gaps were even more pronounced: Black students lagged by 29 points and Hispanic students by 19 points compared to white students. These disparities have remained relatively unchanged since 2000, highlighting the need for continued focus on equity in education.
| District | Most Prevalent | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County School District | White | 90.5% | 4,662 |
| Bardstown Independent School District | White | 65.3% | 2,973 |
