East Kentucky Times

The majority of students in Breathitt County's school districts were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of the 2,780 students attending schools in Breathitt County's school districts, 94.7% were white. African American students constituted the second-largest ethnic group in the county's school districts, accounting for 3.1%.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Breathitt County's school districts, representing 95.2% of the student body.

Breathitt County School District had the most diverse student body in the county, which included African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, multiracial, and white.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased by 11.9% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Breathitt County.

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.

District	Most Prevalent	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Breathitt County School District	White	94.2	2,397
Jackson Independent School District	White	98.2	383