North Bluegrass News

Owen County Elementary/Primary School had the highest enrollment among Owen County schools, welcoming 767 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, 51.4% of them were boys, and 48.6% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 89% of Owen County Elementary/Primary School's total enrollment.

Among the three schools in Owen County, Owen County High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 586 students, while Maurice Bowling Middle School welcomed 489 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 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.

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
Owen County Elementary/Primary School	Owenton	767
Owen County High School	Owenton	586
Maurice Bowling Middle School	Owenton	489