Lee County Schools

Lee County’s population and student enrollment in Lee County Schools have experienced a steady decline for many years, greatly impacting both the county’s economy and the school system. Lee County Middle/High School is represented in the county Student Senate organization by one elected junior and senior each school year. The charge of the organization is to involve students in solving some of our region’s problems. Student Senate leaders and Beattyville Tourism employees are working on a multi-agency project to highlight some of the positive features of Lee County with the ultimate goal of increasing tourism in the county and region.

The area surrounding Beattyville, county seat of Lee County, KY, is growing as a tourist destination. Local residents are familiar with the community; however, visitors may have difficulty getting around town. GPS assistance can be unreliable in small, rural communities such as Lee County and Beattyville, and directional signs are often inadequate. The Community Challenge Project seeks to bring community leaders, school leaders, and students together to address the issue of helping visitors navigate the area.

The project targets two particular areas: increasing signage for Lee County and development of a Lee County app. Our TEALS Microsoft class is currently developing a “Lee County Attractions Smartphone App,” which will include an interactive map that may be pre-downloaded, as cell signal is often unavailable in the Gorge area. The project’s goal is to increase the establishment of tourism-related businesses around Beattyville.