From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)
African American Schools - Kentucky, 1886
(start date: 1866) The Colored School System covered about 112 of the 120 counties. Many of the colored schools were actually school sessions being held for three to five months in colored churches or other buildings. There was not sufficient revenue from the property taxes of African Americans to afford but a few new school buildings. School superintendents filed reports that included information about the condition of the facilities, enrollment and student attendance, and the qualifications of teachers. A driving force behind the development and continuation of a colored school was the community. It was not uncommon for schools to be opened, moved, or discontinued without the knowledge of the school superintendent. There were superintendents who did not submit a separate report about the colored schools, or there may be a statement about the colored schools in the annual report for the white schools. The following list comes from the "Colored Schools. A digest of the Epistolary Reports of County Superintendents," found within the Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the school year ending June 30, 1886 and for the school year ending June 30, 1887. The total number of schools/districts was not available for every county. See also the NKAA Dabatase entries African American Schools.- Adair County
- Barren County
- Bath County - 8 districts with 1 school each
- Boone County
- Bourbon County - 24 schools
- Boyd County - 2 districts
- Boyle County
- Breathitt County - 2 districts
- Breckinridge County
- Bullitt County - 7 districts
- Butler County - 7 schools
- Calloway County - 8 districts
- Carroll County - more than 3 districts
- Casey County - 5 schools
- Christian County
- Clark County - 11 schools
- Clay County - 4 districts
- Crittenden County
- Cumberland County - 8 districts
- Daviess County - 4 schools
- Edmonson County - 4 schools
- Fayette County
- Fleming County - 6 districts, school held in churches
- Franklin County
- Fulton County - 11 districts, 1 school in a church
- Grant County - 4 districts
- Graves County - 16 districts
- Green County - 17 districts
- Harlan County
- Hardin County
- Harrison County
- Hart County - 10 districts
- Hopkins County - 18 districts
- Jessamine County
- Larue County
- Laurel County
- Lawrence County - 2 schools
- Lee County - 2 schools, 1 in a church
- Lewis County - 1 school in a church in Vanceburg
- Lincoln County - 16 districts
- Logan County - 21 teachers, many schools taught in church buildings
- Lyon County - 11 districts
- Madison County - 27 districts
- Magoffin County - 1 school
- Mason County
- Marshall County - 3 districts
- McCracken County - no school houses, 3 or 4 schools doing good
- McLean County - 5 districts, most schools held in church buildings
- Meade County
- Menifee County - 1 school
- Mercer County
- Metcalfe County - 7 districts
- Monroe County - 5 schools
- Montgomery County
- Muhlenberg County - the schools are at a stand-still
- Ohio County - 11 districts, 11 schools
- Oldham County
- Owen County
- Pendleton County - 3 districts
- Powell County - 3 schools
- Pulaski County - 6 schools
- Robertson County - 2 schools
- Rockcastle County - 2 schools, one in Brodhead
- Scott County - 1 school, school held in rented building
- Shelby County - 13 districts
- Simpson County - 10 districts
- Spencer County
- Taylor County
- Trigg County - 3 districts
- Union County - 9 districts, 6 with schools
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Wolfe - 1 district
- Woodford County