NC Kentucky News

There were 342 African American students enrolled in Bardstown Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.4% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Bardstown Independent School District welcomed 2,874 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 11.9% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Bardstown Independent School District roughly covers six schools within Nelson County and has a main office in Bardstown.

Among the six schools in Bardstown Independent School District, Bardstown High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 98 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 African American Students	African American %
2022-23	2,874	342	11.9%
2021-22	2,826	354	12.5%
2020-21	2,796	345	12.3%
2019-20	2,909	360	12.4%