SE Bluegrass News

Estill County High School had the highest enrollment among Estill County schools, welcoming 678 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, 51.9% of them were boys, and 48.1% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 96.9% of Estill County High School's total enrollment.

Among the six schools in Estill County, West Irvine Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 510 students, while Estill Springs Elementary School welcomed 501 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

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

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

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Estill County High School	Irvine	678
West Irvine Elementary School	Irvine	510
Estill Springs Elementary School	Irvine	501
Estill County Middle School	Irvine	426
South Irvine Early Learning Center	Irvine	155
Estill County Success Academy	Irvine	104