Jackson Purchase News

There were 67 African American students enrolled in Hickman County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 4.3% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Hickman County School District welcomed 773 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 8.7% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Hickman County School District roughly covers two schools within Hickman County and has a main office in Clinton.

Among the two schools in Hickman County School District, Hickman County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 43 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	773	67	8.7%
2021-22	824	70	8.5%
2020-21	803	68	8.5%
2019-20	820	78	9.5%