March 27, 2019

In this issue: 2019 legislative session ends March 28 KSBA Board of Directors meeting recap Celebrate 2019 Public Schools Week New resource for creating a non-profit foundation April is Child Abuse Prevention Month Sick leave policies in the spotlight Poll results Upcoming dates, deadlines and events

Sen. Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) speaks at the ceremonial signing of SB1, the school safety bill, in the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday. The parents of the two students who died in the Marshall County High School shooting in 2018 also attended the ceremony.

Sine Die

There’s just one more day in the 2019 legislative session. The General Assembly will meet Thursday to consider overriding any vetoes and to pass last minute legislation. When the legislature adjourns for the final time on the last day of the session it’s called Sine Die, which in Latin means adjourning without a set date to return. The governor on Wednesday held a ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 1, the school safety bill. After the session, KSBA will provide detailed explanations of what SB 1 does and does not require of districts, and will begin a project to survey all districts as to the estimated costs of implementation to better inform our budget request next year. Several other bills that will benefit school districts and board members have also become law. Senate Bill 8, which reforms teacher tribunals and Senate Bill 15, which will reduce the background check backlog both have been signed by the governor. House Bill 22, which will allow school boards to fill their own vacancies, and House Bill 227, which increases the school board member per diem, both became law March 20 without the governor’s signature. Each of those laws will take effect June 27, except for House Bill 227, which will take effect July 1. A detailed wrap-up of the 2019 legislative session will appear in the May issue of the Kentucky School Advocate.

Board of directors retreat and meeting recap

KSBA’s board of directors gathered March 22-23 in Elizabethtown for its annual retreat and board meeting. The board welcomed its newest members to their first official meeting. The new additions took part in new board member orientation. During the Friday retreat, board members discussed ways to streamline their quarterly meetings to maximize productivity. State Rep. Ed Massey, who previously served on the Boone County board of education, and is a former KSBA and NSBA president, stopped by to share his experiences as a school board member and legislator. Saturday’s regular meeting included a legislative update, committee revisions, review of financial reports, strategic plan updates and approval of the board calendar.

Public Schools Week celebrates schools, students and education professionals

KSBA is #PublicSchoolProud! National Public Schools Week 2019 (March 25-29) celebrates public schools, our students and the many school professionals who work to help students achieve their greatest potential. Nine out of every 10 students nationally attend a public school. Public schools welcome every child - regardless of ability, race, wealth, language, country of origin or needs. By strengthening the public school system, we strengthen the democracy of our country. Check out the 2019 Public Schools Week toolkit for information, promotion resources and more.

New resource for creating a non-profit foundation

School board members and administrators know there never seems to be enough funding for all that needs to be done. Many districts across the state are creating non-profit foundations to supplement existing funding. A recent survey of district finance officers showed that at least 47 of the 173 school districts have a non-profit foundation, however, many officers reported that they would like more information about how to form a foundation. To provide that information, KSBA has worked with the Kentucky League of Cities to create a simple how-to guide for forming a 501(c)(3) education foundation. The guide, available on KSBA’s website, includes everything from information on how districts can directly accept donations to sample articles of incorporation and bylaws. KSBA would like to thank our partner the Kentucky League of Cities for its generous support in developing this guide for the benefit of Kentucky’s school districts.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Each April, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAKY) organizes a pinwheel garden on the capitol lawn in Frankfort. Blue pinwheels are a nationally recognized symbol of child abuse prevention. Photo courtesy: PCAKY

As locally elected representatives of Kentucky’s schools, school board members are positioned to draw attention to critical issues facing families. While every district is unique, the effects of child abuse and neglect are felt throughout the Commonwealth. Even seemingly small actions can help prevent child abuse. That’s why Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAKY) encourages people across the state to participate in National Child Abuse Prevention Month this April. A summary of 2018 data from the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services shows that 32,408 children across Kentucky were involved in 16,654 Child Protective Services (CPS) reports found to be substantiated or in need of services. View a 2018 report of state cases by county.

Child Abuse Prevention Month Resources

Sick leave policies in the spotlight Recent education headlines have brought school sick leave policies to the forefront. For questions or clarification on your district’s policies regarding sick leave, please refer to policies 03.1232 (certified) and 03.2232 (classified). As always, we encourage you to contact your KSBA policy consultant at 800-372-2962 with questions.

KSBA Polling Results

How do you most commonly support your district outside of school board service?

Upcoming dates, deadlines and events

Kentucky Breakfast at the NSBA Annual Conference   Sunday, March 31, 2019 -- 7:30 – 9 a.m. ET   Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Salons C & D of the Grand Ballroom 1201 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19107   For more information, contact Beth Pritchett . More calendar items   2019 Kentucky General Assembly adjourns, March 28   Deadline for public comment to KDE on Kentucky Academic Standards for Technology, April 1   Kentucky Board of Education meeting, Ashland, April 10   April is National School Library Month   April is National Autism Awareness Month April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark  Rose v. Council decision, paving the way for education improvement in Kentucky and the nation. Throughout the year we will join our partners to remember that mandate and honor our shared mission. Check out KSBA’s Facebook and Twitter pages as we regularly share language from the court decision using the hashtag #RoseAT30.

This edition of KSBA Aware is made possible in part by the following KSBA Affiliate Members.

Kentucky School Boards Association | 502-695-4630 | www.ksba.org

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