West Pennyroyal News

There were 202 Hispanic or Latino students enrolled in Russellville Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 4.1% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Russellville Independent School District welcomed 1,293 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hispanic or Latino students comprised 15.6% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Russellville Independent School District roughly covers four schools within Logan County and has a main office in Russellville.

Among the four schools in Russellville Independent School District, R. E. Stevenson Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic or Latino students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 93 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 Hispanic or Latino Students	Hispanic or Latino %
2022-23	1,293	202	15.6%
2021-22	1,319	194	14.7%
2020-21	1,272	180	14.2%
2019-20	1,092	149	13.6%