Fayette schools’ enrollment declined by 830 students in a year. Several factors involved

Fayette County Public Schools had about 800 fewer students in March 2026 than March 2025, according to recent data shown to the school board from Steve Hill, director of pupil personnel.

Enrollment data provided by the district shows there were 40,159 students enrolled, compared to 40,989 just one year ago. That drop-off in students is more than the student population for most FCPS elementary schools.

FCPS says it’s part of a nationwide enrollment trend, and local population shifts are also causing changes.

“While facing nationwide enrollment trends, our challenge is managing local population shifts to ensure students have access to various learning opportunities, and that our district facility usage remains balanced and well-utilized,” said district spokesperson Miranda Scully.

Hill said the district is not expected to have a longterm decline.

FCPS expects to have more than 41,000 students by 2030, an increase of about 2%, according to Hill. Future growth is expected to be driven primarily by momentum within the existing student population, rather than significant new students, indicating enrollment gains will be gradual and uneven across grade levels.

These trends imply increasing pressure on elementary facilities in the near term, potential imbalances across middle and high school attendance areas, and make it important for FCPS to retain students in transition grades.

There are opportunities to add more students. Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said at the March budget workshop, where Hill shared enrollment data, that the district hopes to let Lexington’s 1,400 homeschool kids and 5,000 private school kids know there are options for them in Fayette County Public Schools.

Competition from private schools, homeschooling, or relocation could impact resident enrollment, according to documents from the district. However, Hill said some private school kids are coming back to FCPS.

Documents sent to the Fayette County Board of Education that accompanied Hill’s March presentation showed enrollment challenges include birth trends in Fayette County. Birth rates remain stable but are relatively low in the area, limiting the natural pipeline of future students, the documents show. Fayette County has between 3,650 and 3,700 births each year, Hill said.

Long-term enrollment growth will depend less on births and more on migration and housing development, the documents said. High interest rates challenge the housing market, causing more concerns, he said. However, Fayette County is expected to have 67 planned housing developments over the next five years, which will yield 7,400 units and create more opportunities for families with school children to move into the district.

The district also must balance school capacity, officials said.

Growth is occurring in specific development corridors, while many established neighborhoods are experiencing declining or aging populations. Both can affect student enrollment at specific schools. The area around Mary Britton Middle School in Hamburg is leading the way in development, bringing more people to the area of that school, district documents say. There are more apartments in the Leestown area, but apartment complexes typically don’t produce a large number of students.

Another consideration is House Bill 563, passed during the 2021 Kentucky General Assembly. It allows students to apply for enrollment in a school district outside their home county as long as the district has a policy to allow it.

In Fayette County Public Schools, those options are limited as policy is based on building capacity and enrollment, Scully said.

“We do, however, maintain exceptions for children of FCPS employees, high school seniors who wish to complete their final year in the district, and students whose family moves out of Fayette County mid-year,” she said.

Middle and high schools that have room, such as Lexington Middle School, often allow out of area students to apply, but generally that opportunity is limited.

S

This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 5:00 AM.