West Pennyroyal News

There were 583 fifth grade students enrolled in Barren County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.9% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Highland Elementary School welcomed most of the fifth grade students in the county, registering 114 students.

Within Barren County schools, the highest student population was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in fifth grade.

Statewide, Barren County ranked 18th in enrollment numbers. It was also ranked 18th 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.

School	# of 5th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Highland Elementary School	114	14%	816
Red Cross Elementary School	83	11%	753
South Green Elementary School	83	13.9%	595
North Jackson Elementary School	80	13.7%	583
Park City Elementary School	50	11.5%	436
Austin Tracy Elementary School	40	10.9%	366
Caverna Elementary School	39	11%	354
Temple Hill Elementary School	32	10.7%	298
Eastern Elementary School	30	7.9%	378
Hiseville Elementary School	27	8.4%	322
BAVEL	5	1.8%	275