West Pennyroyal News

There were 621 sixth grade students enrolled in Barren County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.8% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Glasgow Middle School welcomed most of the sixth grade students in the county, registering 186 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 6th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Glasgow Middle School	186	31.6%	589
North Jackson Elementary School	81	13.9%	583
Red Cross Elementary School	72	9.6%	753
Park City Elementary School	58	13.3%	436
Eastern Elementary School	56	14.8%	378
Caverna Middle School	40	27.2%	147
Temple Hill Elementary School	36	12.1%	298
Austin Tracy Elementary School	35	9.6%	366
Hiseville Elementary School	30	9.3%	322
BAVEL	16	5.8%	275
Happy Valley Learning Center	6	11.1%	54
College Street Campus	5	5.8%	86