NE Kentucky News

There were 125 African American students enrolled in Ashland Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.6% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Ashland Independent School District welcomed 3,491 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 3.6% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the district.

Ashland Independent School District roughly covers nine schools within Boyd County and has a main office in Ashland.

Among the nine schools in Ashland Independent School District, Paul G. Blazer High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 36 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	3,491	125	3.6%
2021-22	3,557	127	3.6%
2020-21	3,377	134	4%
2019-20	3,322	145	4.4%