Garrard County High School in Garrard County welcomed most students in 2023-24 school year

Garrard County High School had the highest enrollment among Garrard County schools, welcoming 870 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, 50.5% of them were boys, and 49.5% were girls.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 84.4% of Garrard County High School’s total enrollment.

Among the five schools in Garrard County, Garrard Middle School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 593 students, while Lancaster Elementary School welcomed 522 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

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

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