Education

Amend KRS 157.320 to define "eligible child" and "teaming partner"; amend KRS 157.3175 to require each local school district to provide preschool to 4 year olds who reside in a household with an income at or below 160% of the poverty level until the end of the 2033-2034 school year, and beginning with the 2034-2035 school year require each local school district to provide preschool to each eligible child; provide requirements for program guidelines; require the Kentucky Department of Education to establish and maintain a statewide unified data system; create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require local school districts to maintain certification from the Head Start director that Head Start is fully utilized; provide penalties; require local school districts to prepare and submit preschool expansion plans to the deparment; require the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding preschool expansion; require the department to submit a report the the Legislative Research Commission annually regarding preschool expansion.

Amend KRS 160.290 to ensure public school curriculum, textbooks, and instructional materials, including digital learning materials, remain subject to the Open Records Act and that districts protect a resident's fair use rights; amend KRS 160.350 to require a superintendent with total annual compensation greater than the commissioner of education to be subject to confirmation by the Senate; require a majority vote instead of a four-fifths vote of local board of education members to remove a superintendent; delete requirements for approval from the commissioner of education to remove a superintendent; provide an appeal process for the superintendent; amend KRS 160.160 to establish a 1 year term for chair and vice chair of a local board of education; require superintendents to submit reports on closed personnel investigations to the local board of education for the purposes of policy oversight and evaluation of the superintendent's performance; amend KRS 160.180 to make ineligible a candidate for membership on a board of education who engages or serves as an officer or director of an organization that represents district employees in employment or legal matters against the district; require Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act training for local board of education members; make conforming changes; permit the hiring of relatives of a local board of education member; amend KRS 160.380 to prohibit a person convicted of certain specified crimes from being employed by a superintendent; require superintendents to submit reports on previous personnel investigations closed during the superintendent's contract to the local board of education within 30 days of the effective date of this Act.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; establish the Classroom Library Grant Program; provide that the Kentucky Department of Education to implement the grant program through selection of a program administrator; establish the qualifications and duties of the program administrator; appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to implement the Classroom Library Grant Program; APPROPRIATION.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 14 to elect for the Commonwealth to participate in the qualified elementary and secondary education scholarship federal tax credit; designate the Secretary of State as the sole official authorized to report the state's election and submit the required list to the United States Secretary of the Treasury; require the Secretary of State to publish associated administrative regulations and other guidance on a website; authorize the Secretary of State to promulgate administrative regulations to carry out the program; authorize the Secretary of State to collect a fee and accept private contributions to pay for necessary costs and establish requirements for the administration of the funds; waive Eleventh Amendment immunity for the section; amend KRS 141.019 to exclude qualified contributions made to scholarship granting organizations from allowed individual income tax dedications.

Amend KRS 164.5161 to define "spouse"; rename the National Guard Tuition Award Program the National Guard Tuition Scholarship Program; allow current National Guard members and their spouses up to 130 total credit hours at a postsecondary institution; allow the total number of credit hours to be transferrable between the member and his or her spouse; grant authority to the adjutant general to award up to 45 additional nontransferable credit hours within the program; amend KRS 164.5165 and 164.5169 to conform.

Amend KRS 158.6453 to require a local board of education to maintain a district plan on the promotion of advanced coursework in mathematics; beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, establish requirements for the plan to automatically enroll students in grade 8 into Algebra I or higher courses for high school credit with specific conditions; until the 2036-2037 school year, direct the Kentucky Department of Education to submit a report on students in grade 8 taking math courses for high school credit to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 158.791 to conform; authorize local board of education to implement the plan prior to the start of the 2028-2029 school year; require superintendents to submit an implementation plan to the local board of education.

SB 236 would create a program to help Kentucky certified teachers purchase personal computers. The Kentucky Board of Education would arrange competitive bidding to get low prices for teachers and organize training with vendors. This bill directly affects all certified teachers in Kentucky by offering discounted computers and training support. It is a procedural bill focused on implementing a specific education support program, not changing existing laws.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to make findings and declarations about locally driven innovation and the intent of the General Assembly to permit flexibility for school districts to improve practices; amend KRS 156.161 to modify the waiver process and the waiver authority of the Kentucky Board of Education; require the Kentucky Department of Education to assist local boards of education in the development of waiver requests; specify the analysis the department shall provide to the state board in reviewing a local board's waiver request; establish a process for a local board to submit a request for a school or program to be identified as a school of innovation with a set of waivers that operate collectively; provide protections for school districts that rely on waiver assistance from the department; create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to require the state board to establish a list of expedited waivers; establish the expedited waiver process and authority; require the state board to annually review all waivers granted to determine necessary changes to administrative regulations or statutes or identify new best practices; amend KRS 157.360 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to establish the school of innovation pilot project; establish the school of innovation pilot project fund; provide procedures for the operation of the pilot project; conclude the pilot project on June 30, 2028; require the department to annually report information and findings from the pilot project to the Legislative Research Commission.

Support the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' special pastoral message on immigration; affirm the protection of houses of worship, schools, and hospitals from immigration enforcement action within the Commonwealth.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to define terms, require postsecondary education institutions to designate at least 1 employee to serve as a liaison between the institution and a homeless student or student in care who is enrolled at the institution; detail responsibilities of the liaison, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the institution; require an institution to create a position to carry out the responsibilities of a liaison if the number of students experiencing homelessness or students in care exceeds 2% of the student body; require the Council on Postsecondary Education to submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission on students experiencing homelessness, students in care, and the impact of liaisons.