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General Assembly enters final two days of session

Friday, April 12, and Monday, April 15, mark the final two days of the 2024 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Following a 10-day veto recess that began on March 29, the legislature now has just 48 hours to override the governor's vetoes, pass additional legislation and, notably, confirm Kentucky’s next education commissioner. A lot can and likely will happen before "Sine Die" Monday night.

Below is a summary of some of the education bills that received signatures and vetoes during the recess, became law without the governor’s signature or still hang in the balance awaiting approval in the House and Senate. Stay tuned to KSBA for updates during the final two days of session and the weeks to follow. 

Bills signed into law by the governor

Several education bills were signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear, including (but not limited to):

• HB 22 – Automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
• HB 142 – Nicotine products
• HB 377 – Teacher recruitment, student teacher stipends, loan forgiveness
• HB 447 - Transportation of students
• HB 535 – Civics education
• HB 695 – Adaptive Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Project
• HB 727 - School district issuance of general obligation bonds, extend HB 678
• SB 11 – Juvenile justice, notification of schools
• SB 265 – Teacher certification
• HB 752 – Funding for Breathitt ATC

Bills vetoed by the governor

As expected, Beshear also vetoed several bills, a few of which have impacts on public schools.

Beshear line-item vetoed some education-related parts of HB 6, the biennial budget, including (but not limited to):

• School Facility Assistance Fund language that the administration says delays/halts some current school facility construction projects.
• School District Facility Plan Modification language extending HB 678 from 2022 on the grounds that it conflicts with language in HB 727 which already extends HB 678 and has been signed into law.
• Star Academy language that refers to Star Academy programs as “charter schools” which they are not.

HCR 81- A task force to study breaking up Jefferson County Schools

The veto claims the measure is unconstitutional and unfairly targets Jefferson County.

Bills that became law without signature of governor

Among the bills that became law without the governor's signature were a few pieces of important education legislation, including (but not limited to):

• SB 2 – School safety, armed "guardians," trauma-informed care reporting
• SB 58 – Property tax recalls
• HB 611 – Truancy
• HB 825 - Audit of Kentucky Department of Education

Bills still working their way through the legislature

There are many bills that have not received final passage but still could. A few of these include (but are not limited to):

• SR 285 – Confirmation of Robbie Fletcher as education commissioner
• HB 169 – Expansion of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools
• HB 499 – CTE funding formula

Several education-focused bills are awaiting concurrence in the House or Senate including (but are not limited to):

• HB 275: Teacher misconduct
• HB 300 – Changes to EPSB investigations
• HB 162 – Mathematics education
• HB 387 – Allowing substitute teachers without college credit, teacher professional development on building/construction trades
• HB 449 – School board training, transcripts, removal

The legislature could pass these and other bills in the final two days of the session, but they would not be able to override any vetoes of the governor.

Superintendents Webcast today

The Kentucky Department of Education will hold its monthly Superintendents Webcast from 2-4 p.m. today. One of the agenda items will include a discussion on a new resource to help districts develop innovative practices by KDE’s Division of Innovation. Watch the webcast. 

KBE holds two-day meeting

Members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) discussed the results of the 2023 Impact Kentucky Survey during their meeting April 9-10.

The Impact Kentucky Survey is administered every two years. Certified educators working at least half-time are given the opportunity to provide input on teaching conditions that can be used to inform improvements within schools, districts and statewide.

KBE chair Sharon Porter Robinson said she is optimistic that high-quality learning can take place with staff who are skilled and supported, but schools often find themselves more focused on day-to-day operations rather than longer-term professional development.

“My hope is that we can bring a perspective to this that represents all the state-of-the-art dynamics in organizational development, human resource management and development, and modern productivity in every organization, no matter what the unit of measurement happens to be,” she said.

Legislative session

KDE staff provided an update on where legislation, including the biennium budget lawmakers approved before leaving for the veto break.

Several pieces of legislation have already been enacted, whether the governor signed them or let them become law without his signature, including measures on student safety, teacher certification, teacher recruitment and retention, school bus specifications and vaping. House Bill 825, which would require a special examination of KDE, was enacted without the governor’s signature.

Brian Perry, director of government affairs, said lawmakers have the ability to pass other legislation when they convene for the last two days of session, but lawmakers would not have the ability to override the governor if he decides to veto that legislation.

Bus specifications

KBE members also approved specifications for new bus purchases. Matt Ross, associate commissioner of the KDE Office of Finance and Operations, said a council of about 25 experts in the school transportation field in Kentucky – superintendents, inspectors, drivers, trainers and technicians – met in February to discuss changes for school buses.

The panel recommended changes to bus specifications for new bus purchases, including:

• A battery shutoff switch to help preserve batteries during long periods of non-use.
• Replacing lights with LEDs if they are available from the original equipment manufacturer.
•  Illuminated school bus signs and stop signs for new buses.
• Heated crossview mirrors to help melt ice and snow.
• Change requirements for school bus driver seats to allow for more comfortable seats.
• Changes to air conditioner condenser requirements.

In other business, the board:

• Approved changes to 704 KAR 7:140, allowing local boards of education to award an authentic high school diploma to an honorably discharged veteran of the Vietnam War who did not complete high school.
• Approved waiver requests for Jessamine County Schools and Henderson County Schools related to property appraisals.
• Awarded the 2024 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education to Emily Lehman, a 5th-grade educator for W.R. McNeill Elementary School (Bowling Green Independent).

Webinars for board members in their first terms

Through KSBA’s New Board Member Express, the association offers a special series of webinars for school board members who are currently anywhere within their first term of service. Below is the remaining webinar lineup for April. Each webinar title is linked to online registration. View page 5 of the 2024 School Board Training Guide for a complete NBME webinar lineup.

All webinars are worth 1.00 hour of state-mandated school board training credit, available at a cost of $75 per session due at registration.

Thursday, April 18

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Introduction to school finance for new board members (FIN 119) 

Looking for a convenient way to earn credit in the state-mandated topic of finance? Attend this session to learn important information while working toward meeting annual requirements? This session is geared to newly elected or appointed board members. (Counts toward state-mandated finance requirement)

Tuesday, April 23

Noon - 1 p.m. (ET)

Legal Orientation I (LGI 100)

Learn what every new school board member needs to understand about the statutory and legal environment in which boards operate. The session includes topics such as the Kentucky Open Meetings Act, board member conflicts of interest, the various legal responsibilities of the board, the role of the superintendent and the Kentucky Open Records Act.

KSBA asks members to submit professional and civic accomplishments

In an effort to better showcase the accomplishments of school board members, we invite KSBA members and administrators to submit details on their professional, civic and philanthropic accomplishments, awards, promotions, etc.

Complete a short online form if you wish to submit a recent accomplishment, preferably one that has occurred in the last two months. 

Examples of acceptable submissions include job promotions, community awards, special recognitions and retirements. Space is limited, so KSBA is unable to include updates that fall outside of the previously mentioned parameters (such as marriages, births, birthdays, etc.). Submissions may be included in upcoming issues of the Kentucky School Advocate magazine and in other KSBA media.

April 11: KDE Superintendents' Webcast

April 15: Sine Die (final day of legislative session)

April 26: KEDC Teacher Recruitment Showcase

May 7: Kentucky Gives Day 2024

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