East Pennyroyal News

There were 56 African American students enrolled in Somerset Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.8% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Somerset Independent School District welcomed 1,794 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 3.1% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the district.

Somerset Independent School District roughly covers three schools within Pulaski County and has a main office in Somerset.

Among the three schools in Somerset Independent School District, Somerset High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 23 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	1,794	56	3.1%
2021-22	1,800	55	3.1%
2020-21	1,737	51	2.9%
2019-20	1,752	61	3.5%