Nelson County Schools

The Nelson County Schools is part of an ongoing story tied inextricably to the people, place and community of the fourth-oldest county in Kentucky. The district comprises over 4,000 students in 12 schools, from pre-kindergarten at the Early Learning Center for 3-year-olds to the seniors at its two high schools, Nelson County High and Thomas Nelson High. About 350 certified teachers and 300 support staff support students, families and the community. The Nelson County Schools believes that every community member has valuable gifts to share with the world to live a happy, healthy and empowered life. Technological, social and economic change has transformed every aspect for our community over the past century, and education has both played a role in that advancement as well as been affected by those forces. In the early 1900s the county had nearly 80 schools throughout its communities that served as a pillar of local civic life. As access to transportation increased, many of these smaller schools started to consolidate into larger community schools in the 1930s and ’40s. Those same forces that affected education in the 20th century continue to influence our schools in the 21st, and Nelson County Schools is a forward-looking district proactively examining and adapting to what this century will demand of future leaders and the education needed to prepare them. The district seeks to honor its history by uniting students to people, place and purpose while at the same time preparing them for future success. In 2021, the district engaged the community in months of conversations about the future of our schools. A vision of a Community Campus model emerged from those discussions. Uniting middle and high school students onto two campuses will enable the district to ensure equity and access to opportunity for every student in the county, no matter where their families choose to live.