Mark Your Calendar!
The Kentucky Department of Education is planning and preparing for next year’s SBDM trainings, including the endorsement training for coordinators. Please look at the training options and dates and mark them on your calendar.
Register for the endorsement training using this form. A link to the meeting will be emailed to you immediately after registering. If you have specific topics that you would like to have addressed during the annual endorsement training, email those ideas to Mia Morales.
SBDM Coordinator/Trainer Endorsement Training (webinar)
- April 8 at 1 p.m. ET
- April 9 at 9 a.m. ET
- April 15 at 9 a.m. ET
Training for new SBDM coordinators will be scheduled later in the spring. More information to follow!
Database Review
KDE will soon be closing out this current year’s SBDM verification database to gear up for the next council’s term. The last day to submit and confirm accuracy is March 17.
Please take time to access the SBDM verification database and review the data that is entered for your district. Make sure all council members are entered and that the names are spelled correctly. Accuracy is key, so please make changes as necessary!
The information from the database is transferred into each school’s homepage on the Kentucky School Report Card. If you need access to the database or have any questions, please email Mia Morales.
Staffing Allocation Reminders
Tentative staffing allocations should be sent to school councils by March 1, with a final allocation date of May 1. If a district plans to revise its staffing formula for the 2025-2026 school year, it will need to send its updated staffing allocation worksheet to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) for approval. These updates can be emailed to Mia Morales.
A sample staffing allocation worksheet can be found on the SBDM Technical Documents webpage on the KDE website under “SBDM Staffing Allocations.” Please allow time for KDE to review the allocations prior to May 1.
Staffing allocations for certified staffing positions are determined based on projected full-time equivalent enrollment. Section 4 of 702 KAR 3:246 states that, "a board staffing policy or guidelines shall be established to determine the number of allocated positions for certified staff for each school. To determine the allocation to school councils for certified staff, the district shall provide sufficient funds: (a) To meet class size caps and pupil contact hours established in KRS 157.360 based on the projected full-time equivalent enrollment for the upcoming school year. …”
Section 6 (Other Minimum Allocations) and Section 7 (Distribution of the Balance) of the regulation is articulated differently and specifically references average daily attendance (ADA) when determining allocation amounts under those sections. When determining Section 6 and 7 allocations for the 2025-2026 school year, districts should use the 2024-2025 ADA.
Election Tips!
Elections for the 2025-2026 school year will begin soon! The majority of information to assist council member constituent groups with their election processes can be found within the SBDM Handbook.
Electronic voting is allowable. While KDE cannot endorse specific electronic voting platforms, there is a variety available (i.e. BallotBoxonline.com, Yes Elections) for soliciting nominations and voting.
When hosting electronic voting, ideally voters would be assigned unique codes that would be entered into the school’s voting platform to verify and track voting. If electronic voting is used, KDE recommends an equitable nomination and voting option for families that lack access to the internet or do not have the technical capacity to submit electronic forms.
Please ensure all documentation is stored with any identifying information redacted so if a request is made for the results under the Kentucky’s Open Records Act, the anonymity of the voters and votes cast will be ensured.
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