KSBA Aware - News from the Kentucky School Boards Association

Oct. 24, 2019

In this issue:

KBE sets budget priorities
Comment now: Changes proposed for school lunch program
Seeking to better understand SEEK? Here's a primer
Absentee voting now open
Invitation to STLP regional events
Winter Symposium is Nov. 22-23
Free Learn & Earn on Nov. 6
Your opinion wanted: Advocate reader survey
First Degree Scholarship entry deadline is Oct. 28
Nominations being accepted for Proudfoot and Dupree awards
Join the KSBA Board of Directors
KSBA in the News
Poll Results
Upcoming dates, deadlines and events

KBE sets budget priorities

The Kentucky Board of Education at its Oct. 3 meeting set its priorities for additional funding requests in the 2020-22 biennial budget. The priority list includes funding school improvement work by KDE, career and technical education (CTE), education technology, new teacher induction support, salary supplements for National Board Certified teachers, the Kentucky School for the Blind and Kentucky School for the Deaf, all-day kindergarten and defined department costs such as rent, utilities and workers’ compensation.

In total the priority request includes more than $380 million, which does not include an estimate of the defined costs. In addition to the eight priority items, the board also approved 13 additional requests.

In discussing funding for kindergarten, which is currently funded for half-day, Commissioner Wayne Lewis said every student, regardless of economic status should have access to full-day kindergarten. Some districts only offer half-days, while some districts provide full-day kindergarten by using local funding to pick up the cost, he said.

“Not only would this give every kid access to full-day kindergarten, but districts could then use those local funds that they have been using to subsidize kindergarten to invest in other early intervention efforts,” he said.

Besides kindergarten, other big-ticket items on the priority list include $34 million for CTE, $29.2 million for education technology and $28 million for school improvement funds to help schools designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) or Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI).

The CTE request includes money for industry certifications, Area Technology Center (ATC) operations, new programs at locally controlled centers and for unfunded CTE pathways. The educational technology funding would restore cuts to technology funding that have occurred over the last 10 years and officials said is needed as the state moves toward online testing.

The other additional requests include increasing the SEEK base funding, fully funding transportation, funding preschool, funding professional development and other items.

During the meeting, KBE also decided to postpone approving its 2020 legislative agenda until the December meeting.

Comments sought on changes to school lunch program

The U.S . Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that nearly one million children across the country could loose their automatic eligibility for free school lunches under a proposed change to the way households become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The change, proposed by the USDA in July, could impact the way children in those households become eligible for free or reduced-price meals in schools. Currently, many children are automatically “categorically” eligible for the meals through the direct certification process which automatically enrolls any child in a household that receives SNAP benefits into the free or reduced-priced lunch program.

Many of Kentucky's school districts are also “community eligibility provision” (CEP) districts meaning that because so many students are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, the entire student body may receive free meals.

Originally, a USDA analysis found that a modest number of students nationwide, and a very modest number of Kentucky students, would be affected by the rule change. However, the updated analysis , concludes that a much higher number of students may be impacted , including CEP districts.

While there would be opportunities for families to reapply, KSBA believes the burden on schools and personnel could be significant. In a state like Kentucky where many communities face significant on-going economic distress, this meal program is vital to students lives.

The public comment period has been reopened, and closes Friday, Nov. 1 . Please discuss this with your food service director, and submit your concerns as a board member or as a district by Nov. 1 by clicking the button below. Once on the page, click the "Comment Now" button in the top right corner. KSBA and NSBA will also submit comments.

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT

Seeking to better understand SEEK? Here’s a primer

KSBA’s Kerri Schelling breaks down the basics of the SEEK allocation formula in this month’s Kentucky School Advocate .

Absentee voting

If you are planning to be out of town on Nov. 5, election day, or otherwise unable to vote at your local polling location, you can vote early at your local county clerk’s office during the 12 working days prior to the election. In this helpful video, KSBA Director of Advocacy Eric Kennedy explains how to exercise your right. Go vote!

Invitation to STLP regional events

This fall, the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) will hold nine regional events across the state to showcase how Kentucky students are using education technology to learn and demonstrate what they know.

The program, part of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology, reaches 55,000 students across the state and culminates with the STLP state championship in April in Rupp Arena.

The nine STLP regionals are the start on the #STLPRoad2Rupp where teams of students present technology-rich project ideas to convince the all-volunteer judges that their project is deserving of making it to Rupp.

The regional events, which are from 10 a.m. to noon, are open to the public and will be held:

Nov. 4: Morehead State University, Adron Doran University Center
Nov. 7: Murray State University, Curris Center
Nov. 12: University of Louisville, Student Activities Center
Nov. 14: University of Kentucky, UK Student Center
Nov. 18: Northern Kentucky University, Student Activities Center
Nov. 21: Western Kentucky University, Diddle Arena
Dec. 3: Owensboro Convention Center
Dec. 9: The Center for Rural Development, Somerset
Dec. 18: University of Pikeville, Appalachian Wireless Arena

The championship will be April 8 at Rupp Arena. More information about STLP is available at the STLP website or by emailing Jeff Sebulsky .

Winter symposium registration open

Register now for KSBA’s 2019 Winter Symposium, Nov. 22-23 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown (new location). Click the button below for conference information and easy online registration. Printed registration booklets were mailed earlier this month, and you can also download the booklet. Join approximately 400 board members, superintendents and education leaders for a two-day intensive training. Network with colleagues from across the state and participate in informative sessions designed to enhance your school board service. Visit the Winter Symposium web page.

The deadline to reserve a room at the special conference rate is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. After this deadline, the room block and special rates expire, and attendees will have to make other hotel arrangements. Hotel blocks at the both host hotel (Marriott) and adjacent hotel (Hyatt) are filling up quickly. Accommodations are limited, so please make your reservations now.

Louisville Marriott Downtown (conference host hotel)

280 W Jefferson Street

Louisville, KY 40202

Click here to make a reservation.

Hyatt Regency Louisville (adjacent to conference hotel)

320 West Jefferson Street

Louisville, KY 40202

Click here to make a reservation.

If you have any questions, contact KSBA Director of Board Team Development Laura Cole at 800-372-2962 ext. 1122.

Last call for charter authorizer credit!

This year’s Winter Symposium is the final conference before the Dec. 31 charter training deadline, and with it, the final opportunity in 2019 to earn significant training hours. The state mandates that all school board members earn their 12 charter training hours before this date. Those who do not may be subject to disciplinary action by the state. KSBA does not want that to happen to you! Register now for the 2019 Winter Symposium.

KSBA will offer the next in its Learn & Earn webinar series at noon Eastern on Wednesday, Nov. 6.. We will present “Revenue calendars Part 2: State revenue.” Any member may participate in this training, even if you did not participate in Part 1.

While the school board does not choose the amount of state revenue a district receives, it is helpful to understand the timing of state funding decisions and the arrival of state revenue in a district. This session covers the larger landscape of the calendars impacting the state revenue that comes to the school district, connects school board members with helpful resources on state revenue, and includes charter authorizer considerations for school boards during the state revenue calendar.

Session participants will receive one hour of financial training credit as well as one hour of charter authorizer training credit on the following topics: Financial governance and transparency; Conflict of interest; Charter application; Charter school contracting; Charter school monitoring; Charter school renewal, non-renewal and revocation; Charter school closure; and Ethics.

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Act now!

Note: Participants MUST join this webinar through a computer or by using the Zoom app on a smart phone. Participants who call in will not earn credit. If you have any questions contact KSBA Director of Board Team Development Laura Cole at 800-372-2962 ext. 1122.

Your opinion wanted: Advocate reader survey

KSBA is committed to keeping you informed about your association and the important issues facing Kentucky public education. To help us better serve you, we are asking Kentucky School Advocate readers to provide us valuable feedback through a short survey The deadline to respond is Nov. 1.

The submissions will directly impact how the Kentucky School Advocate magazine communicates with its readers. You could even win a KSBA prize pack for participating. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey.

Deadline for First Degree Scholarship entries

The application deadline for the 2020 First Degree Scholarship awards is Monday, Oct. 28. Because of the generous support of our members, community partners and friends, KSBA will award four Kentucky public high school seniors (two males and two females) with scholarships. Learn more about the First Degree Scholarship program and download an application .

Pictured: Jonathan Nelson of Grayson County and Sydney Higdon of Daviess County were the 2019 First Degree Scholarship recipients.

Nominations being accepted for Proudfoot and Dupree awards

Each year, the Kentucky School Boards Association partners with local associations and businesses to present awards that honor education leaders. Recipients are recognized each year during the KSBA Annual Conference in February, one of the largest gatherings of Kentucky education leaders.

The Proudfoot Award for Outstanding School Board Member was created in 1992 and is co-sponsored by the Kentucky PTA and KSBA. Named after the late Dr. Warren H. Proudfoot, a member of the Rowan County Board of Education and past president of KSBA, the honoree is selected by the Kentucky PTA. Please consider nominating one of your deserving school board members. The application deadline is Nov. 27.

The F.L. Dupree Outstanding Superintendent Award is jointly presented by KSBA and the family of the late F.L. Dupree, a local school board member and public education advocate. To be eligible, a superintendent must have held the current position since July 1, 2015, and be serving in the post at the time of the award presentation. Nominations are selected by a panel of past Dupree award recipients. The deadline is Nov. 27.

More information is available on our website.

Join the KSBA Board of Directors

The Kentucky School Boards Association has four openings for directors-at-large to serve on the association’s board, with some exceptions. Nomination forms are due by Oct. 28.

The nominees will be chosen by a committee of the board of directors that will report its selections in January with ratification on Feb. 22 at KSBA’s Annual Conference.

The seats are currently held by four members who are all eligible to serve a new three-year term. They are Steve Becker, Danville Independent; Diane Berry, Nelson County; Jason Reeves, Barbourville Independent; and Bill Robertson, Fulton Independent.

The KSBA Board of Directors, which meets quarterly, sets association policy, legislative positions and annual budgets and also works closely with KSBA’s professional staff on issues important to Kentucky’s public school system.

KSBA in the news

KSBA is often called on by media outlets to discuss important school-related issues. Here are some of the stories to which your association contributed in recent weeks.

7 seek JCPS School Board Seat for District 4 (with video)

WHAS11 News Louisville, Oct. 18, 2019

Excerpt: "I do think that the number of candidates tends to be higher when the stakes are higher and certainly there’s a lot happening in Jefferson County right now”, said Kerri Schelling, executive director of the Kentucky School Boards Association. “And so, if someone feels called to serve, it's really a great opportunity to get in and be very instrumental in the kind of change that they'd like to see in their school district.”