Education

School Boards & Districts

As is typical in Kentucky, city and county schools operate under separate school boards. The Frankfort Independent School District operates Second Street School (primary and middle grades), Frankfort High School (home of the Panthers), Rosenwald Empowerment and Preparation (REP) Academy (Non-Traditional High School Program) and The Early Learning Academy, all near Frankfort’s downtown area. 

Public Schools

Franklin County Public Schools operates seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools (Franklin County High School and Western Hills High School, homes of the Flyers and the Wolverines, respectively).

Image of a brick multistory building

Private Schools

Several private schools are also located in Frankfort:

Universities

Kentucky State University, or "KSU", is located on East Main Street. Kentucky's historically black university, KSU was founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons. The campus was integrated beginning in the 1950s and received university designation in 1972. KSU today has approximately 2,000 students, including both undergraduates and graduate students. Dr. M. Christopher Brown II is the university's president. As an 1890 land-grant institution, KSU has a commitment to research, service, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences, and is particularly noted for its Aquaculture Research Center.

Frankfort also in close proximity to a number of other public and private colleges and universities, with the University of Kentucky within 25 miles and University of Louisville within 50 miles. The Bluegrass Community and Technical College has campuses in Lexington and Lawrenceburg. Many private colleges are within a relatively short drive of Frankfort, including Georgetown College, Centre College, Midway College, and Transylvania University.