SW Bluegrass News

There were 186 multiracial students enrolled in Mercer County School District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 1.6% more than the previous year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Data showed that Mercer County School District welcomed 2,909 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, multiracial students comprised 6.4% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the district.

Mercer County School District roughly covers six schools within Mercer County and has a main office in Harrodsburg.

Among the six schools in Mercer County School District, Mercer County Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 50 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 Multiracial Students	Multiracial %
2022-23	2,909	186	6.4%
2021-22	2,920	183	6.3%
2020-21	2,886	182	6.3%
2019-20	2,938	182	6.2%