A Health care facilities include King's Daughters' Medical Center, a modern 340-bed general, acute care facility, the largest medical complex east of Lexington. The smaller, but equally modern, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital has 130 acute care beds. The 22 elementary and secondary public schools of Ashland and Boyd County are participating fully in the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 which was cited nationally as a model for other states. Two parochial schools provide additional educational opportunities. Higher education is available through the University of Kentucky's Ashland Community College and the Morehead which offer associate and baccalaureate degrees as well as continuing education credits have experienced dramatic growth in recent years.
Cultural activities abound throughout the year.
The Paramount Arts Center, a restored historic theater, is the center for top quality entertainment programs and children's theater. An annual series of classical music is presented by Artists in Concert and the Ashland Youth Ballet. The Ashland Area Art Gallery, the Paramount Gallery and the Kentucky Highlands Museum each sponsor a series of exhibits. During the holiday season, Ashland's downtown area is ablaze with hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights. In Ashland, the Fourth of July Celebration and Central Park Festival feature a series of free live entertainment concerts and a gigantic, river front fireworks display.