Bluegrass Times

Of the 687,294 students enrolled in Kentucky schools during the 2022-23 school year, 72.4% identified as white, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

This equals 497,455 white students at the time, which is a decrease from the year before.

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 Enrollment	Total White Students	White %
2019-20	698,388	524,737	75.1%
2021-22	685,401	503,483	73.5%
2022-23	687,294	497,455	72.4%
2020-21	682,953	507,936	74.4%