Metro Lex News

There were 4,090 ninth grade students enrolled in Fayette County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.3% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Lafayette High School welcomed most of the ninth grade students in the county, registering 715 students.

Within Fayette County schools, the highest student population was found in ninth grade, with the smallest class sizes seen in preschool.

Statewide, Fayette County ranked second in enrollment numbers. It was also ranked second the year before.

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.

School	# of 9th Grade Students Enrolled	% of Student Body	Total Enrollment
Lafayette High School	715	27.6%	2,592
Henry Clay High School	649	28.9%	2,244
Bryan Station High School	638	29.9%	2,132
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School	579	27.5%	2,105
Tates Creek High School	558	28.9%	1,934
Frederick Douglass High School	516	27.8%	1,853
STEAM Academy	132	32.4%	407
Martin L. King Academy for Excellence Alternative	82	18.1%	453
Success Academy	70	16.4%	426
Fayette County Learning Center	58	25.9%	224
Carter G. Woodson Academy	46	15.9%	289
Audrey Grevious Center	25	48.1%	52
The Stables	14	24.6%	57
Family Care Center	8	14%	57