SE Bluegrass News

There were 2,336 students enrolled in Estill County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 51.2% of them were boys, and 48.8% were girls.

Data also shows that most of the students were white, representing 95.8% of the district's total enrollment.

Estill County School District roughly covers six schools within Estill County and has a main office in Irvine.

Among the six schools in Estill County School District, Estill County High School recorded the highest enrollment of 672 students in the 2022-23 school year.

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 Name	Total Enrollment in 2021-22	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	% change
Estill County High School	682	672	-1.5%
West Irvine Elementary School	447	500	11.9%
Estill Springs Elementary School	546	482	-13.3%
Estill County Middle School	530	474	-11.8%
South Irvine Early Learning Center	170	182	7.1%
Estill County Success Academy	32	26	-23.1%