Jackson Purchase News

There were 1,306 African American students enrolled in Paducah Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.3% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Paducah Independent School District welcomed 3,369 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 38.8% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Paducah Independent School District roughly covers seven schools within McCracken County and has a main office in Paducah.

Among the seven schools in Paducah Independent School District, Paducah Tilghman High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 362 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	3,369	1,306	38.8%
2021-22	3,364	1,310	38.9%
2020-21	3,388	1,308	38.6%
2019-20	3,521	1,376	39.1%