Education

Amend KRS 156.160 to require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations for an alternate high school diploma and a modified high school diploma; specify requirements for alternate and modified high school diplomas; create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require the Department of Workforce Development to identify, compile, and publish a list of employers willing to employ individuals possessing an alternate high school diploma; amend KRS 158.140, 164.787, and 164.7882 to conform.

Provide 10 additional disaster relief student attendance days to provide instruction using alternate settings; allow local school districts to make up days missed by adding instructional time to student attendance days; require local boards of education seeking to revise its calendar to submit a plan for approval to the Department of Education; allow instructional time made up to count as employee contracted days; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 157.220 to require the Kentucky Department of Education to promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with the maximum class sizes and caseloads specified for exceptional children and youth; make technical corrections; amend KRS 157.200 to define "caseload" and "special classes"; amend KRS 157.230, 157.3175, and 159.990 to conform.

Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to submit a list of resources that are provided to families during the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and recommendations for possible additional family supports to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026.

Amend KRS 162.055 to allow public school property to be utilized for employee housing; create a new section of KRS Chapter 162 to allow school boards or school district finance corporations to use property currently owned or newly leased to provide housing options for employees upon a determination that the use of land serves the educational purposes of the school district; make technical changes.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 610 to establish a pilot program to be known as the Supporting Opportunities for Accountability and Restoration Program for children who are truant; require the pilot program to be established in no less than 10 public school districts; establish the responsive interventions to support and empower teams; establish criteria for participation and procedure for the program; create a new section of KRS Chapter 159 to establish the duties of the director of pupil personnel in school districts that are participating in the pilot program; amend KRS 159.140 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to require schools to collect certain data relating to habitual truancy and require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report data relating to habitual truancy to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Education and the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary; amend KRS 610.030 to require the use of an evidence-based family screening tool to identify family strengths, needs, and risks; create family diversion plans and require a child's parent to participate; amend KRS 605.030 to require a court-designated worker to coordinate the pilot program in the school districts that participate; amend KRS 17.125 to allow responsive interventions to support and empower teams to access information on juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system; amend KRS 600.020 to amend the definition of "habitual truant" and define "Supporting Opportunities for Accountability and Restoration Program" or "SOAR Program" and "Responsive Interventions to Support and Empower Teams" or "RISE teams"; create a new section of KRS Chapter 630 to provide that a child who is alleged to be a status offender, adjudicated a status offender, or is a status offender alleged or found to have violated a valid court order shall not be detained in a secure detention facility until the child is at least 16 years old; amend various sections to conform; repeal KRS 630.100.

Amend KRS 158.060 to require teachers to be compensated for noninstructional planning time within their school day during which they are required to supervise or instruct students.

HB 591 requires the Kentucky Department of Education to develop a career pathway focused on performing arts for inclusion in the state's career and technical education (CTE) programs. This bill directly affects Kentucky high school students by creating a new structured educational track in performing arts within existing CTE frameworks. The key mechanism mandates the Department to design this pathway through consultation with the Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee, ensuring it aligns with student needs and employer demands. The bill does not allocate new funding or change current programs but establishes a requirement for the Department to create this specific pathway.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to require each local school board to include at least 1 student representative; require each local school board to adopt a school board student representative policy with certain requirements.

Amend KRS 156.502 to define "medication" and "sunscreen"; require local boards of education to adopt a policy authorizing students in kindergarten through grade 5 to carry and self administer sunscreen with parent permission and allow students in grades 6 to 12 to carry and self-administer sunscreen; require board policy to cover possession and use in various settings; amend KRS 194A.380 to define "sunscreen"; create a new section of KRS 194A.380 to 194A.383 to require youth camps to adopt a policy authorizing a child to carry and self-administer sunscreen.