West Pennyroyal News

There were 657 12th grade students enrolled in Barren County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 4.6% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Barren County High School welcomed most of the 12th grade students in the county, registering 350 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 12th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Barren County High School	350	24%	1,459
Glasgow High School	136	21.3%	639
BAVEL	65	23.6%	275
Success Academy	49	34.5%	142
Caverna High School	41	17.6%	233
College Street Campus	13	15.1%	86
Happy Valley Learning Center	3	5.6%	54