Special session addresses flood relief for school districts 

State lawmakers on Wednesday convened for a special session of the General Assembly to provide emergency funding for school districts, local governments and public utilities in the wake of July’s devastating floods in eastern Kentucky.

State officials stressed that the bill is just the first step in helping the area recover and that more assistance could come when legislators return for the regular session in January.

“This is to ensure that we don’t have to wait that long to get people, to get these communities back up on their feet, and I am grateful for what is included,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday.

Senate Pres. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, also said the bill was designed to meet short-term objectives and the legislature would have more information about the long-term needs when it convenes in January.

The identical bills in the House and Senate that would provide a total of $212 million in flood relief for 18 counties are expected to be passed Friday morning.

At least $40 million would be allocated to replace or renovate public buildings include schools. Districts could also get help to cover bond payments or other flood-related expenses. 

School districts would also get another $40 million funneled through the Kentucky Department of Education to help pay for wraparound services and the costs of transporting displaced students.

In addition to funding for buildings and services, the relief bill includes flexibility for districts that have had to delay the start of school. Districts would be allowed to waive 15 instructional days and those days would count as part of an employee’s contract. Additional days could be waived for individual schools.

Districts could also assign groups of students to no more than 20 remote learning days.

The bill also includes help for western Kentucky districts impacted by tornadoes this past December. After the tornadoes destroyed many properties the area, the districts suffered a loss in local tax revenue due to vastly decreased assessments. The bill allows affected districts to receive 100 percent of their lost revenue in the 2022-23 fiscal year, 60 percent in 2023-24; and 33 percent in 2024-25.

The legislature is expected to resume the special session at 4 p.m. today. 

Free webinar on effective afterschool/summer student programming

School districts can use American Rescue Plan funds, also known as ESSER III, for high quality afterschool and summer learning programs. Join KSBA and the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance at noon (ET) on Wednesday, Sept. 21 for the "Engage every student: Using afterschool and summer to accelerate summer learning." Learn steps for launching and sustaining a successful program. Presenters include Tom Haggard, director of the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance (and a Covington Ind. board member), and Terry Peterson, senior associate for the Riley Institute at Furman University and national board chair for the Afterschool Alliance.

School board members and superintendents in attendance can earn one hour of state-mandated board training credit or one hour of EILA credit. The webinar is free for KSBA members and their district personnel, but space is limited. View/download a PDF flyer for this event if you wish to share information with others. 

KSBA accepting session proposals for 2022 Winter Symposium

KSBA is now accepting proposals for workshop sessions at the association's 2022 Winter Symposium Dec. 9-10 in Louisville. Each workshop is 75 minutes. These sessions will be for presenters to share their experiences, knowledge or research about successful programs in their district or topics of critical importance to board members and education leaders.

Begin an online session proposal form. All submissions must be received by Sept. 16.

Email Shannon Robinson with questions.

Regional meetings kick off this month

KSBA’s slate of 2022 Fall Regional Meetings kick off Aug. 30. See KSBA’s regional meeting page for details on meeting dates, host contact information and more. Dinner is provided by the host district for a fee. Unsure of your region? Check KSBA's regions list.

Watch the video below for a special regional meeting preview

Invitations and instructions for regional meeting registration will be provided by your regional chair, to be sent electronically in the weeks preceding each meeting. 

View/download a sharable regional meeting flyer.

Six of KSBA’s 12 regions will elect new regional chairs this fall. If you reside in one of these regions and are interested in more actively serving the association, consider submitting a regional chair nomination form. Visit KSBA’s regional meeting page for regional chair nomination forms and their respective deadlines.

Questions about KSBA's regional meetings can be directed to your regional chair or KSBA’s Beth Pritchett at 502-783-0063 or via email.

KSBA is hiring. Join our team!

KSBA is currently hiring a policy & procedure consultant/eMeeting trainer. This full-time Frankfort-based position is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day maintenance of public school district policies, procedures and other services for assigned districts. See a full job description or submit an online application.

Superintendent searches

KSBA works with local school boards across Kentucky to select leaders for their districts. KSBA is actively involved in one superintendent search. See the position posting and application instructions at the link. 

Clark County Schools

Application deadline: Aug. 26

Kentucky Teacher of the Year to be named

Eleven teachers from across the state are semifinalists for the 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year award, from the Kentucky Department of Education and Valvoline Inc.

The teachers are in the running to be named as elementary, middle and high school Teacher of the Year, one of whom will be named the overall 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. Winners will be announced Sept. 20 at a ceremony in Frankfort.

Semifinalists for elementary Teacher of the Year are:

· Rebecca Brewer, Norton Commons Elementary School (Jefferson County)

· Kelly Gates, Pride Elementary School (Hopkins County)

· Amber Hays, Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center (Henderson County)

The middle school semifinalists are:

· Caitlin Buckley, Kentucky School for the Deaf

· Nathaniel Green, Newport High School (Newport Independent Schools)

· Danielle Hicks, Clinton County Middle School

· Mandy Perez, Crittenden County Middle School

The high school semifinalists are:

· Cathy Conley, Knott County Central High School

· Robin Kemp, Highlands High School (Fort Thomas Independent)

· Lauren Niemann, Fern Creek High School (Jefferson County)

· Amber L. Sergent, Woodford County High School

The 11 semifinalists are among 24 Kentucky educators who were named 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award winners in July. They were chosen based on their scores from the first round of judging, which was conducted by a panel of veteran educators. Interviews with the 11 semifinalists, combined with their application scores, will result in the selection of the 2023 Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers of the Year and the 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. 

KSBA School Board Leadership Guide available online

KSBA's updated School Board Leadership Guide is now available for viewing on our website. The Leadership Guide, which is updated each spring following the legislative session, summarizes the most essential aspects of school board leadership. 

View the updated Leadership Guide.

Aug. 30: KSBA Fall Regional Meetings begin

Sept. 1-30: Suicide Prevention Month

Sept. 8-9: COSSBA Urban Boards Alliance Inaugural Symposium, Atlanta

Sept. 13: KDE's Superintendents Webcast

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