Elizabethtown Times

There were 2,025 African American students enrolled in Hardin County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 2% less than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Hardin County School District welcomed 16,474 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 12.3% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the district.

Hardin County School District roughly covers 25 schools within Hardin County and has a main office in Elizabethtown.

Among the 25 schools in Hardin County School District, North Hardin High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 401 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	16,474	2,025	12.3%
2021-22	16,389	2,066	12.6%
2020-21	16,022	2,132	13.3%
2019-20	15,423	2,192	14.2%