Kentucky
State Government
Governor
Andy Beshear (D)
State Senate
7
Democrats,
31
Republicans
State House
20
Democrats,
80
Republicans
Economic well-being - Kentucky
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.2
Minimum wage
7.3
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.4
Poverty rate
15.6%
Unemployment rate
4.7
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
6.8
Teachers to protest at Kentucky Derby, a symbol of state's inequality
College that charges no tuition loses out in tax bill
Programs for blind, deaf, poor students would take hit under proposed school cuts
The Washington Post, March 4, 2017: GOP bill could dismantle one of nation’s most robust school desegregation efforts
Atlanta Blackstar, November 21, 2014: Colleges in Kentucky Struggling to Boost Graduation Rates for Black, Low Income Students
"Colleges and universities in Kentucky have failed to meet some major goals to help boost graduation rates among Black and low-income students, leaving officials scrambling to put an end to the education disparities. Kentucky aimed to drastically increase graduate rates for the 2012-2013 school year but the latest accountability report by the Council of Postsecondary Education revealed that the schools just aren't reaching those goals when it comes to their Black and low-income students."
The Courier-Journal, November 20, 2014: Minority, low-income college grad rates lag
"Kentucky is lagging in its efforts to increase graduation rates among poor, minority and under-prepared college students, according to the Council on Postsecondary Education's latest accountability report. The annual report, to be discussed by the council at a meeting Friday, showed a six-year graduation rate of 49 percent among bachelor's degree-seeking students in 2012-13, the latest data available."