Jackson Purchase News

There were 255 African American students enrolled in Mayfield Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 9.9% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Mayfield Independent School District welcomed 2,117 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 12% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Mayfield Independent School District roughly covers three schools within Graves County and has a main office in Mayfield.

Among the three schools in Mayfield Independent School District, Mayfield Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 108 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 African American Students	African American %
2022-23	2,117	255	12%
2021-22	2,194	283	12.9%
2020-21	2,121	280	13.2%
2019-20	2,161	292	13.5%