North Bluegrass News

There were 141 African American students enrolled in Paris Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 7.6% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Paris Independent School District welcomed 831 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 17% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Paris Independent School District roughly covers four schools within Bourbon County and has a main office in Paris.

Among the four schools in Paris Independent School District, Paris High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 51 students.

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.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total African American Students	African American %
2022-23	831	141	17%
2021-22	845	131	15.5%
2020-21	796	123	15.5%
2019-20	788	117	14.8%