NC Kentucky News

Nelson County High School had the highest enrollment among Nelson County schools, welcoming 852 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 52.1% of them were girls, and 47.9% were boys.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 89.8% of Nelson County High School's total enrollment.

Among the 17 schools in Nelson County, Thomas Nelson High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 701 students, while Foster Heights Elementary School welcomed 690 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

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

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

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.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Nelson County High School	Bardstown	852
Thomas Nelson High School	Bardstown	701
Foster Heights Elementary School	Bardstown	690
Bardstown Elementary School	Bardstown	666
Bardstown Primary School	Bardstown	650
Bardstown Middle School	Bardstown	634
Bardstown High School	Bardstown	633
Coxs Creek Elementary School	Coxs Creek	499
Bloomfield Middle School	Bloomfield	409
Old Kentucky Home Middle School	Bardstown	372
Boston School	Boston	357
Bardstown Early Childhood Center	Bardstown	356
Nelson County Early Learning Center	Bardstown	353
Bloomfield Elementary School	Bloomfield	346
The New Haven School	New Haven	335
The Academy at Horizons	Bardstown	95
Bardstown Alternative School	Bardstown	59