North Bluegrass News

Owen County Elementary/Primary School had the highest enrollment among Owen County schools, welcoming 810 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 53% of them were boys, and 47% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 92.5% of Owen County Elementary/Primary School's total enrollment.

Among the three schools in Owen County, Maurice Bowling Middle School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 655 students, while Owen County High School welcomed 597 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Owen County Elementary/Primary School is part of Owen County School District, which roughly covers schools within Owen County and has a main office in Owenton.

In the previous school year, Owen County Elementary/Primary School also had the highest number of students among Owen County schools.

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	City	Total School Enrollment
Owen County Elementary/Primary School	Owenton	810
Maurice Bowling Middle School	Owenton	655
Owen County High School	Owenton	597