Harlan County Public Schools, Kentucky, elections
| Harlan County Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 5 |
| Students: 3,361 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 11 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Harlan County Public Schools is a school district in Kentucky (Harlan County). During the 2024 school year, 3,361 students attended one of the district's 11 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 1
General election
General election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 1
Hiram Fields ran in the general election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Hiram Fields (Nonpartisan) | ||
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Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 2
General election
General election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 2
Gary Farmer ran in the general election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 2 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Gary Farmer (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
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Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 3
General election
General election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 3
Keri E. Stevens ran in the general election for Harlan County Public Schools Board of Education District 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Keri E. Stevens (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board general elections in Kentucky are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years. State law on school boards authorizes independent school districts to hold school board elections on the first Saturday in May. No districts, however, were using that date in May as of 2023. State election calendars and the state association of school boards only listed and referenced the November election date.
See law:
Kentucky Statutes Section 160.200 and Section 118.025
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: June 2, 2026
- General election date: November 3, 2026
Election system
School board members in Kentucky are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.240
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Kentucky are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. The section of Kentucky Statute on school board elections states, "The candidate names shall be presented to the voters in the form prescribed by the general election law, except that no party emblem or distinguishing mark shall be used, save the words 'School Candidates.'" The same chapter of statute also states, "No election officer or other person within an election booth shall tell or indicate to a voter the political affiliation of any candidate."
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.250 and Section 160.230
Winning an election
The candidate or candidates that receive the most votes in the nonpartisan general election are elected to office.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.260
Term length and staggering
School board members in Kentucky have four-year terms.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.210 and Section 160.200
As close to half of the members of each school board as possible are elected every two years. For five-member boards, this means that either three or two members are up for regular election every two years.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.210 and Section 160.260
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
County school districts in Kentucky elect school board members from divisions (by sub-district). Only voters residing in each division cast votes for the board member residing in and representing that division.
Independent school districts in Kentucky elect school board members at large from the entire district.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.210 and Section 160.260 and Kentucky Statutes Section 160.210
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates must file nomination petitions by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June before the November election.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 118.365 and Section 118.315
School board candidates can submit a nominating petition beginning on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November in the year preceding the election. School board candidates cannot begin collecting nominating petition signatures until that date.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 118.365 and Section 118.315
Kentucky Statute does not specify when school board members are to be officially sworn into office except that it must be after election results certificates are issued.
See law: Kentucky Statutes Section 160.170
About the district
School board
Harlan County Public Schools consists of five members serving four-year terms.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Farmer | District 2 | ||
| Hiram Fields | District 1 | ||
| Wallace Napier | District 4 | ||
| Scott Sherman | District 5 | ||
| Keri Stevens | District 3 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $16,709,000 | $4,811 | 27% |
| Local: | $7,788,000 | $2,242 | 13% |
| State: | $36,835,000 | $10,606 | 60% |
| Total: | $61,332,000 | $17,660 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $55,391,000 | $15,949 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $47,830,000 | $13,771 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $28,269,000 | $8,139 | 51% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $3,762,000 | $1,083 | 7% |
| Administration: | $4,025,000 | $1,158 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $11,774,000 | $3,390 | 21% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $5,225,000 | $1,504 | |
| Construction: | $1,151,000 | $331 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $1,135,000 | $326 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $1,112,000 | $320 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 16 | PS | 21-39 | <=20 | PS | <50 | 16 |
| 2018-2019 | 42 | PS | 30-39 | 40-49 | PS | <=20 | 42 |
| 2017-2018 | 43 | 40-49 | 21-39 | PS | 21-39 | 43 | |
| 2016-2017 | 40 | PS | 40-49 | 21-39 | PS | <50 | 40 |
| 2015-2016 | 43 | PS | 20-29 | 21-39 | PS | >=50 | 43 |
| 2014-2015 | 39 | PS | 30-39 | 21-39 | PS | <50 | 40 |
| 2013-2014 | 42 | 20-29 | <50 | PS | >=50 | 43 | |
| 2012-2013 | 33 | 30-39 | 21-39 | PS | PS | 33 | |
| 2011-2012 | 29 | PS | 20-29 | <=20 | PS | PS | 29 |
| 2010-2011 | 65 | 40-49 | <50 | PS | 66 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 35 | PS | <=20 | 40-59 | PS | <50 | 35 |
| 2018-2019 | 59 | PS | 50-59 | 60-69 | PS | 40-59 | 59 |
| 2017-2018 | 60 | 60-69 | 40-59 | PS | 40-59 | 60 | |
| 2016-2017 | 58 | PS | 50-59 | 40-59 | PS | >=50 | 58 |
| 2015-2016 | 56 | PS | 40-49 | 40-49 | PS | >=50 | 56 |
| 2014-2015 | 53 | PS | 30-39 | 40-59 | PS | >=50 | 53 |
| 2013-2014 | 55 | PS | 30-39 | <50 | PS | <50 | 56 |
| 2012-2013 | 45 | 50-59 | 21-39 | PS | 45 | ||
| 2011-2012 | 43 | 30-39 | 21-39 | PS | PS | 43 | |
| 2010-2011 | 73 | PS | 60-69 | >=50 | PS | 73 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 91 | PS | PS | PS | PS | 90-94 | |
| 2018-2019 | 96 | PS | PS | PS | >=95 | ||
| 2017-2018 | 96 | PS | >=50 | PS | PS | >=95 | |
| 2016-2017 | 95 | PS | PS | >=95 | |||
| 2015-2016 | 89 | PS | >=50 | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 |
| 2014-2015 | 87 | PS | >=50 | PS | PS | 85-89 | |
| 2013-2014 | 85 | >=50 | PS | PS | 85-89 | ||
| 2012-2013 | 85 | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 3,361 | -2.9 |
| 2022-2023 | 3,459 | -0.4 |
| 2021-2022 | 3,473 | -8.8 |
| 2020-2021 | 3,780 | -5.0 |
| 2019-2020 | 3,968 | 1.4 |
| 2018-2019 | 3,912 | -2.6 |
| 2017-2018 | 4,014 | -1.2 |
| 2016-2017 | 4,063 | -1.8 |
| 2015-2016 | 4,135 | -0.1 |
| 2014-2015 | 4,139 | -4.3 |
| 2013-2014 | 4,319 | 1.4 |
| 2012-2013 | 4,257 | -0.4 |
| 2011-2012 | 4,274 | 2.4 |
| 2010-2011 | 4,171 | -1.7 |
| 2009-2010 | 4,242 | -3.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 4,378 | -1.6 |
| 2007-2008 | 4,450 | -0.9 |
| 2006-2007 | 4,491 | -11.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 4,997 | 0.6 |
| 2004-2005 | 4,968 | -0.9 |
| 2003-2004 | 5,014 | -5.4 |
| 2002-2003 | 5,284 | -1.6 |
| 2001-2002 | 5,367 | 2.5 |
| 2000-2001 | 5,235 | -3.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,425 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Harlan County Public Schools (%) | Kentucky K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 2.1 |
| Black | 1.2 | 10.7 |
| Hispanic | 1.7 | 9.5 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| White | 95.2 | 72.0 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Harlan County Public Schools had 252.46 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 13.31.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 10.00 |
| Elementary: | 107.50 |
| Secondary: | 50.00 |
| Total: | 252.46 |
Harlan County Public Schools employed 13.00 district administrators and 22.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 13.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 13.00 |
| School Administrators: | 22.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 52.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 101.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 2.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 11.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 8.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 26.00 |
| Other Support Services: | 138.00 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Kentucky
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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