NW Kentucky News

There were 734 African American students enrolled in Owensboro Independent School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 7% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Owensboro Independent School District welcomed 5,424 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 13.5% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Owensboro Independent School District roughly covers 10 schools within Daviess County and has a main office in Owensboro.

Among the 10 schools in Owensboro Independent School District, Owensboro High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 227 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	5,424	734	13.5%
2021-22	5,390	686	12.7%
2020-21	5,257	680	12.9%
2019-20	5,457	707	13%