There were 1,327 students enrolled in Southwestern High School in 2023-24 school year in Pulaski County

Robbie Fletcher, Ed.D.Kentucky Commissioner of education | https://www.education.ky.gov/CommOfEd/Pages/KDE-Leadership-Team.aspx

By East Pennyroyal News

Mar 4, 2025

Southwestern High School had the highest enrollment among Pulaski County schools, welcoming 1,327 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, 53.1% of them were boys, and 46.9% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 86% of Southwestern High School's total enrollment.

Among the 18 schools in Pulaski County, Pulaski County High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,239 students, while Southern Middle School welcomed 916 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

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

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

Enrollment in Southwestern High School Over 5 Years

Enrollment in Pulaski County Schools During 2023-24 School Year

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Southwestern High School	Somerset	1,327
Pulaski County High School	Somerset	1,239
Southern Middle School	Somerset	916
Northern Middle School	Somerset	865
Hopkins Elementary School	Somerset	789
Southern Elementary School	Somerset	707
Pulaski Elementary School	Somerset	603
Somerset High School	Somerset	583
Oak Hill Elementary School	Somerset	568
Science Hill Elementary School	Science Hill	538
Meece Middle School	Somerset	506
Burnside Elementary School	Burnside	478
Shopville Elementary School	Somerset	415
Northern Elementary School	Somerset	373
Nancy Elementary School	Nancy	365
Eubank Elementary School	Eubank	341
Memorial Education Center	Somerset	300
Eagle Academy	Somerset	146