For national statistics, visit the National Center for Education Statistics at http://nces.ed.gov/.
Kentucky's public school system is directed by state statutes and regulations.
*all numbers are for the 2006-07 school year unless otherwise noted
Number of school districts
174 (28 female superintendents; 146 male; 2 minorities) [2007-08]
Number of public schools (Does not include dependent districts Ft. Campbell and Ft. Knox, alternative schools or the Kentucky School for the Deaf and Kentucky School for the Blind)
1,238
Elementary -- 751
Middle -- 222
Elementary/middle -- 3
HIgh -- 225
Entering Primary-12th -- 6
Preschool -- 30
9th Grade -- 1
Number of public school teachers (actual headcount)
43,641 (White -- 95.6%; Minority -- 4.4%; Male -- 21%; Female -- 79%)
Number of public school students
668,337
Ethnicity of public school students
White - 84.2%
African American - 10.6%
Hispanic - 2%
Asian - less than 1%
Native American - less than 1%
Other - 1.7%
Length of school year [2007-08]
187 days (includes 177 days of instruction; 4 days of professional development; 4 holidays; 2 planning days)
Number of employed certified staff, minus teachers (actual headcount)
7,824
Average teacher salary
$44,365
Number of teacher interns
3,421
Number of principal interns
270
Number of individuals who hold certifications
112,477
Number of classified staff (actual head count)
48,363
Average per-pupil current expense spending (excludes debt service, facilities and fund transfers)
$7,914 [2005-06]
Total SEEK budget
$2.681 billion [FY 2007]
Total P-12 state education revenue
$4.209 billion [FY 2007]
Total P-12 federal education revenue
$704 million [2005-06]
Total P-12 local education revenue
$1.783 billion [2005-06]
Number of local school board seats
874 (5 for each district; Jefferson County has 7 because of its size; Webster County has 7 on a temporary basis because of the merger of Providence Independent.)
Gender breakdown of local school board members
Male - 539 (62%) Female - 334 (38%) Not Reported - 1 (less than 1%)
Racial breakdown of local school board members
White - 813 (93%) Non-White - 37 (4%) Not reported - 24 (3%)
Number of schools served by councils
1,186 (22 granted exemptions -- 10 because of test scores; 12 in one-school districts)
NOTE: 703 KAR 5:040 mandates that schools classified as "A1" schools are eligible for SBDM councils. A1 schools do not include preschools, alternative schools, vocational-technical or special education schools.
Number of alternative SBDM models
55
Parents involved in SBDM committees
11,887
State dropout rate
3.31% [2005-06]
State retention rate
2.92% [2005-06]
State attendance rate
94.6% [2005-06]
State graduation rate
83.26% [2005-06]
Percentage of high school graduates attending college, vocational/technical schools, entering the military, employed or a combination of the above (successful transition rate)
96.06% [2005-06]
Pre-kindergarten (preschool) children enrolled in state‑funded programs
23,072 (includes children who meet eligibility criteria and children served through district funds or tuition)
Number of students enrolled in Kentucky Head Start programs
14,432
Pre-kindergarten state budget
$75.1 million [FY 2007]
Primary program organization
63% - Predominately single age groupings
12% - Dual year age spans with separate classes for 5-year-olds
8% - Dual year age spans with full inclusion of 5-year-olds
6% - Dual year age spans with partial inclusion of 5-year-olds
4% - Dual year age spans with separate primary classes for 5-year-olds and exit level students
4% - Looping practices (teachers keep the same students for more than one year)
2% - Four year age spans with 5- to 8-year-olds grouped together
1% - Three year age spans with part-time inclusion of 5-year-olds
Number of kindergarten programs offered by 175 school districts
Full day - 150
Half day - 19
Both - 6
Percent of individuals eligible for free or reduced-price meals in public schools (includes K-12 students; preschool/Head Start students; some adults who qualify through the National School Lunch Program)
53%
Number of exceptional children ages 3-5
21,007 [as of December 2006]
Number of exceptional children ages 6-21
88,347 [as of December 2006]
Number of students qualifying for Gifted & Talented services
113,484
Gifted & Talented state budget
$7.1 million [FY 2007]
Number of public schools operating federal Title I programs
884 (Schoolwide -- 795; Targeted Assistance -- 89) [2005-06]
Title I funding
$205.6 million [FY 2006]
Number of students eligible for Title III services (limited English proficiency, immigrant)
10,535
State funding for limited English proficiency (LEP) students
$2.9 million [FY 2007]
Federal funding for Title III (includes LEP and immigrant students)
$3.1 million [FY 2007]
Districts receiving Title III funding
173 (plus individual sub-grantees and consortia sub-grantees)
Languages, other than English, spoken at home by students with limited English proficiency
Spanish (64%)
Japanese (4%)
Bosnian (4%)
Vietnamese (3%)
Arabic (2%)
French (2%)
Mandarin Chinese (2%)
Somali (2%)
Others, including Serbo-Croatian, Russian and Korean (approximately 18%)
Students to modern high-performance computers ratio
3.44-1 (goal is 6-1)
Teachers to modern high-performance computers ratio
1-1 (goal is 1-1)
Percentage of networked schools with Internet access. e-mail and direct dial-in/out telephone access
100% (all 174 district offices have access to e‑mail and Internet)
Percentage of schools connected to the Kentucky Education Network (KEN), a modern high-speed connection to the Internet
100% (by December 2007)
Number of students accessing the technology enabled Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
More than 300,000 accounts created for students in grades 6-12
Percentage of schools utilizing Encyclomedia, an Internet-based comprehensive multi-media learning service
92%
Amount of federal e-Rate funding available to Kentucky school districts for technology in FY08
Up to $19.1 million
Number of Highly Skilled Educators
46 (all assigned)
Number of family resource/youth services centers
820 (420 family resource; 268 youth services; 132 combined)
Number of schools served by FRYSCs
1,166
Number of students served by FRYSCs
612,741
Number of students served in extended school services programs during the school year (not including summer programs)
144,294
Funds allocated for ESS programs
$31.8 million [FY 2007]
Number of Community Education directors
102
Number of school districts served by Community Education programs
152
Number of school buses
9,976
Number of licensed school bus drivers (full-time equivalent)
12,292
Number of homeschools
9,578
Number of homeschooled students
11,055