Lexington: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Historically known as an educational center in the South, Lexington has maintained its concern with providing excellence in education. The Fayette County Public School System was established when the Lexington and Fayette County Boards of Education merged in 1967. The district is managed by a five-member elected board and an appointed superintendent. In 2005 the district was comprised of 53 schools, including two schools for applied technology and one alternative school. SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory), STAR Math, and Commonwealth Accountability Testing (CATS) are district-administered assessment tests given to all Fayette County Public School enrollees. All elementary and select high schools in the district have English as a Second Language programs available. The Extended School Services program, a component of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, provides programs for students who need additional assistance with academic coursework; and the Kentucky Educational Technology System (KETS) was established to provide funding, standards, and procedures for connecting all classrooms in Kentucky to the Internet and to improve student achievement through the instructional use of technology.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Lexington-Fayette County public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 32,980

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 34

middle schools: 11

senior high schools: 5

other: 3 (2 technical schools and 1 alternative school)

Student/teacher ratio: 12.82

Teacher salaries average: $42,748

Funding per pupil: $7,627

In addition to the public school system, Lexington has more than 12 private schools, including religious and nondenomi-national institutions.

Public Schools Information: Fayette County Public Schools, 701 E. Main St., Lexington, KY 40502-1699; telephone (859)381-4100

Colleges and Universities

Lexington is the home of the University of Kentucky (UK), which enrolls more than 24,000 students and was established in 1865. UK is home to 16 major colleges including schools of medicine, law, engineering, arts and sciences, and business. Lexington Community College is located on the campus of the University of Kentucky. Transylvania University is a small four-year institution affiliated with the Christian Church; it was established in 1780. Within a 40-mile radius are Eastern Kentucky University and seven other colleges: Asbury, Berea, Centre, Georgetown, Kentucky State, Midway, and Southeastern Christian Junior. Together they award undergraduate and advanced degrees in a full range of fields, including medicine, law, engineering, economics, architecture, and library science. The city is also home to two theological seminaries and several vocational and business schools.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Lexington Public Library's collection includes more than 650,000 book volumes plus magazines, films, audio and video tapes, filmstrips, microfiche and microfilm, and art reproductions. The library system includes the Central Branch on East Main St., plus five branch libraries, a full-service outreach program, and an innovative new English/Spanish Information Kiosk that allows access to library databases from a nearby Wal-Mart store. The library also houses a collection of early Kentucky newspapers and books and the Lexington Urban County Documents Collection. The University

of Kentucky Libraries hold more than 2.5 million book volumes and numerous special collections, including Appalachiana and government documents. Other Lexington-area libraries include those associated with academic institutions, hospitals, museums, religious organizations, and corporations. The unique Keeneland Library is devoted to thoroughbred horse racing and contains 10,000 volumes, 1,500 videocassettes, 225,000 photo negatives and nearly every edition of the Daily Racing Form dating back to 1896.

Nearly 42 of the 66 research centers in Lexington are affiliated with the University of Kentucky. They conduct research activities in such fields as life sciences, social and cultural studies, private and public policy and affairs, physical sciences, engineering, tobacco production, and multi-disciplinary programs. The Kentucky Rural Health Works Program, an offshoot of the school's Agricultural College, seeks to help rural Kentucky communities make informed decisions in the development of their health facilities. The University of Kentucky Coldstream Research Campus is dedicated to the development of knowledge-based firms. Once a prominent bluegrass horse farm, Coldstream provides a synergetic research camp environment for science and technology-focused businesses, and University of Kentucky faculty, staff, and students. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducts research at Lexington centers in astronomy and other areas. Other subjects of research facilities include horses, asphalt, energy (particularly coal), and tobacco. The Kentucky Center for Public Issues focuses on matters of concern to the general public.

Public Library Information: Lexington Public Library, 140 E. Main St., Lexington, KY 40507-1376; telephone (859)231-5504; fax (859)231-5598