NE Kentucky News

Paul G. Blazer High School had the highest enrollment among Boyd County schools, welcoming 992 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, 50.8% of them were boys, and 49.2% were girls.

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

Among the 16 schools in Boyd County, Boyd County High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 947 students, while Ashland Middle School welcomed 839 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Paul G. Blazer High School is part of Ashland Independent School District, which roughly covers schools within Boyd County and has a main office in Ashland.

In the previous school year, Paul G. Blazer High School also had the highest number of students among Boyd 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
Paul G. Blazer High School	Ashland	992
Boyd County High School	Ashland	947
Ashland Middle School	Ashland	839
Boyd County Middle School	Ashland	746
Summit Elementary School	Ashland	525
Fairview High School	Ashland	467
Ponderosa Elementary School	Catlettsburg	414
Hager Elementary School	Ashland	382
Oakview Elementary School	Ashland	339
Crabbe Elementary School	Ashland	333
Fairview Elementary School	Ashland	326
Catlettsburg Elementary School	Catlettsburg	318
Cannonsburg Elementary School	Ashland	313
Charles Russell Elementary School	Ashland	307
Poage Elementary School	Ashland	288
Ramey-Estep High School	Rush	200