Powell County High School in Powell County welcomed most students in 2023-24 school year

Powell County High School had the highest enrollment among Powell County schools, welcoming 685 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 54.5% of them were boys, and 45.5% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 94.7% of Powell County High School’s total enrollment.

Among the six schools in Powell County, Clay City Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 497 students, while Powell County Middle School welcomed 464 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Powell County High School is part of Powell County School District, which roughly covers schools within Powell County and has a main office in Stanton.

In the previous school year, Powell County High School also had the highest number of students among Powell County schools.

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, 13% of teacher vacancies in the state remained unfilled throughout the 2023-24 school year.

District leaders also raised concerns about applicant quality, with 49% saying candidates were similar to the previous year and 42% saying they were of lower quality.

Currently, after adjusting for inflation, the average teacher salary in Kentucky is nearly 20% lower than in 2008. State data shows teachers earn about $14,000 less in real terms.