Education (School Funding)

Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to study expanding access to free and reduced-price school meals at schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

Amend KRS 45.021 to require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to contract with each local board of education of a district that has 65% or more in tax-exempt real property and that does not receive financial relief from other sources for the tax revenue lost from the tax-exempt property, to provide for recoupment to the board of at least 25% of the local board of education's lost tax revenue from the tax-exempt properties.

Amend KRS 157.350 to provide that in order to be eligible to receive support education excellence in Kentucky funds a school district shall not provide the superintendent or any administrator a percentage pay increase greater than the average percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers within the district; amend KRS 156.070 to conform.

Direct local school districts to provide a one-time payment of $2,000 to certified employees, excluding superintendents, in each year of the 2026-2028 biennium, and a one-time payment of $1,000 to classified employees in each year of the 2026-2028 biennium; appropriate $153 million from the Budget Reserve Trust Fund account in each year of the 2026-2028 biennium to the Learning and Results Services budget unit to provide the payments; authorize the Department of Education to pro rata reduce payments if the appropriation is insufficient; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.