KSBA Aware - News from the Kentucky School Boards Association

March 11, 2020

In this issue:

Districts prepare for coronavirus
Local school board members meet with interim commissioner
KSBA launches new website
Bill to separate governance of CERS advances
2019 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey results
Child Abuse Prevention pinwheel event
Start of Census 2020
Poll results
Save the Date - Kentucky Gives Day 2020
Upcoming dates, deadlines and events

Districts prepare for coronavirus

In a conference call with Kentucky school superintendents Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Andy Beshear urged district leaders to be prepared to close schools on short notice - as little as 72 hours.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Harrison County Schools was the only district in the state to call off classes because of the cororavirus . Five Harrison County residents have tested positive for the virus.

As the number of cases is expected to increase, all districts should be prepared in the event they need to close, Beshear said.

"We are asking all of our schools and school systems to be prepared on 72-hours notice," he said. "It moves really fast, everything that we are learning is changing almost daily and we need to be able to have the speed if we reach this point to do it."

Nearly half of Kentucky school districts participate in the Kentucky Department of Education's Non-Instructional Day (NTI) program. For those that do not, Interim Commissioner Kevin Brown said Wednesday he plans to ask the Kentucky Board of Education to approve a blanket waiver on March 18 that would allow all districts to apply for the NTI program.

Districts will have to get approval from their local boards of education before submitting their plan to the state, he said. That may require boards to hold special meetings.

“You are committing district resources to the program, so it’s important that the local board weigh in,” Brown said during a Monday webcast . “And anytime you are seeking a waiver from the state board of education, it does require local board approval.”

State lawmakers are also poised to allow districts to stay closed once they max out the 10 NTI days now allowed. The House Education Committee is expected to vote Wednesday afternoon on a new version of HB 461 that would allow districts to use up to 20 NTI days for a public health emergency. KET will air the meeting online .

Harrison County Schools has already used five NTI days for this week. There have also been reported coronavirus cases in Fayette and Jefferson counties, though those districts had not canceled classes. As of Wednesday afternoon , there were eight cases statewide in patients ranging in age from 27 to 69.

Brown on Monday issued a letter to superintendents explaining that any decision to close schools in response to COVID-19 should be based on guidance and input from public health professionals at local health departments.

Local school board members meet with interim commissioner

Members of the Local School Board Member Advisory Council met with interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown on March 9 at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). The members heard presentations from KDE staff on the Impact Kentucky Survey, the goTeachKy teacher recruitment initiative, the state budget, the legislative session and an early literacy initiative. Brown also provided an update on the coronavirus response.

T he council, made up of 13 local school board members, advises KDE on how department initiatives and decisions are affecting school boards and districts. The members represent the seven judicial districts and include six at-large members.

Board members who attended the meeting included: Diane Berry, Nelson County; Linda Duncan, Jefferson County; Ambrose Wilson, Woodford County; Julia Fischer, Bellevue Ind.; Larry Dodson, Oldham County; Carl Wicklund, Kenton County; Charlie Wise, Hardin County; and Joanna Freels, Shelby County.

Photo: Shelby County board member Joanna Freels, Kenton County board member Carl Wicklund, Bellevue Ind. board member Julia Fischer and Oldham County board member Larry Dodson listen to a presentation on the Impact Kentucky Survey.

KSBA launches new website

Just this week, KSBA relaunched its website . Check out our new, more interactive homepage that features a media center, quick links to popular areas of our site, and rebranded logo, mission statement and colors.

In the past year alone, pages on KSBA's website have been visited approximately 258,000 times. KSBA staff are working hard to make sure that each and every visitor to our site has a positive experience.

Bill to separate governance of CERS advances

House Bill 484, which would allow for more local governance of the County Employees Retirement System (CERS), passed the House Local Government Committee on Monday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Russell Webber, R-Shepherdsville, would create a new board to control CERS which is the pension system for non-teaching school district staff including cafeteria workers, bus drivers and custodians. Those school district employees make up more than half of the CERS participants

The bill would keep the administrative structure of the Kentucky Retirement System (KRS) and current board of trustees would continue to oversee the Kentucky Employees Retirement System and the State Police Retirement System. Though CERS has most of the members of the combined KRS system, it has a minority of members of the management board and no members on the investment committee.

Photo: KSBA Director of Advocacy Eric Kennedy (second from left) testifies in support of HB 484 in the House Local Government Committee.

Vaping and mental health are key concerns for Ky. students

Based on the Kentucky Department of Education's 2019 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results, middle and high school students in the state are using electronic vaping products much more than they were in 2017.

The percentage of middle school students who have used an electronic vapor product increased from 15.1% in 2017 to 31.4% in 2019. A significant increase also occurred among high school students rising from 44.5% in 2017 to 53.7% in 2019.

More Kentucky students also are experiencing mental health challenges. Survey results indicate that the percentage of middle school students who ever seriously thought about killing themselves increased from 18.2% in 2017 to 22.4% in 2019. Likewise, the percentage of high school students who seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months before the survey increased from 14.8% in 2017 to 18.4% in 2019.

The YRBS monitors the health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability and social problems among youth and adults in the U.S . Visit KDE's website for additional information .

Child abuse prevention pinwheel event

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time where advocates from across the Commonwealth raise awareness of the preventable issues of abuse and neglect.

The official kickoff of Child Abuse Prevention Month, will take place at 9 a.m. March 23 in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. After convening in the rotunda, attendees will plant blue pinwheels on the front lawn of the Capitol. The pinwheels are a symbol of child abuse prevention. Download the event flyer and spread the word and visit the Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky website for more information and resources.

Census 2020 begins

Did you know that the 2020 Census is underway? Between March 12-20, most U.S. households will receive an invitation by mail to participate in the constitutionally required population count.

The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers and many others use to provide daily services, products and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads and other resources based on census data. Learn more about the 2020 Census.

Poll Results

Save the Date - Kentucky Gives Day 2020

The Kentucky Nonprofit Network will host the 2020 Kentucky Gives Day on Tuesday, May 12. Last year, for its first Kentucky Gives Day, the KSBA Educational Foundation raised nearly $5,500. We hope to exceed that amount this year to support foundation initiatives such as the First Degree Scholarship Program. Mark your calendars and plan to make your gift! More information will be provided in the weeks ahead.