Jackson Purchase News

There were 19 Hispanic or Latino students enrolled in Ballard County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 9.5% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Ballard County School District welcomed 1,119 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hispanic or Latino students comprised 1.7% of the student body to be the third least represented ethnicity in the district.

Ballard County School District roughly covers four schools within Ballard County and has a main office in Barlow.

Among the four schools in Ballard County School District, Ballard County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic or Latino students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 10 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	1,119	19	1.7%
2021-22	1,181	21	1.8%
2020-21	1,204	17	1.4%
2019-20	1,264	25	2%