Thank you!
Thank you for attending the April SBDM endorsement training session! This professional learning opportunity is beneficial to your role as an SBDM coordinator or trainer, and serves as the endorsement necessary for this important work and as required by KRS 160.345(6).
We are especially thankful to the district coordinators, Derisa Hindle (Elizabethtown Independent Schools), Brent Deaves (Oldham County Schools), Phillip Birchfield (Pike County Schools), Robert Phillips (Rockcastle County Schools), Stephanie Harris (Montgomery County Schools) and Alaina Lancaster (Hopkins County Schools), who shared their experience during the endorsement training. It was helpful to hear their insights into how they train their district’s council members and their successful practices.
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) goal is to ensure you are equipped with SBDM and training updates, which are pertinent to the success of school-based decision making councils and the students in each of those schools. If you were not able to attend one of the endorsement sessions, email Mia Morales as soon as possible so that further guidance can be given.
Virtual Experienced Member Training
KDE will be hosting a virtual experienced member training on the Rise to Proficiency: Councils and Family and Community Partnerships on June 17-18 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Members will have to participate on both days to obtain their certificate.
During the training, council members will learn ways in which SBDM councils can engage parents, families and communities in the work they do. KDE recommends, however, that if experienced council members have taken this course previously, that they participate in a different training course to expand their knowledge regarding their roles and responsibilities as a councilmember.
To register, interested participants must complete the 2025-2026 Rise to Proficiency Registration form to receive additional details regarding the training opportunity.
New Coordinator Training
Please note that SBDM coordinators and trainers who are brand new to their work and role will need to engage in a more in-depth and introductory training to SBDM in addition to the annual endorsement training.
The New Coordinator Training is scheduled for May 22 at 10 a.m. ET. Registration is available through the SBDM New Coordinator Training form.
Election Tips!
Council member elections are underway! Parent and teacher election procedures determine how elections are run. Please note that electronic elections are permissible and more guidance can be found within the SBDM Elections Guidance document.
To that end, here are several points to keep in mind when constituent groups are gearing up for the election processes:
Teachers are elected to the council by a majority vote. To be elected by majority vote, a teacher must receive half plus one of the votes by those eligible to vote. For example, if there are 30 teachers assigned to the building, then 16 votes are needed to be elected. All certified staff in the school – including itinerant teachers, part-time teachers, counselors and library media specialists – are eligible to serve as a teacher representative.
Parents are elected to a council by a plurality vote. Plurality vote means receiving more votes than the other candidates. Eligible parent candidates must have a student enrolled or pre-registered to attend the school for the year they will be serving on the school council. The candidate must be a parent, stepparent, foster parent or a person who has legal custody of a student pursuant to a court order and with whom the student resides.
Minority representation is required when a school has 8% or more student minority population. Schools may choose to use the Kentucky Department of Education’s Superintendents Annual Attendance Report (SAAR) or internal data of enrollment on Oct. 1, 2024.
Training Options
As elections conclude and annual trainings are being planned, below is a list of training modules KDE offers free of charge for endorsed trainers to train council members.
For new council members,
- SBDM 101 (in-person or virtual)
For experienced councilmembers,
- Rise to Proficiency: Councils and Family and Community Partnership (in-person or virtual)
- Decisions with Data (in-person or virtual)
- Roles and Responsibilities (in-person, virtual or self-paced)
- Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement (self-paced)
You can find all the training modules and their materials on KDE's SBDM Training webpage. You can find more information about each individual training within the SBDM Training Module flyer.
Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families
During its 2023 term, the Kentucky Department of Education's Family Partnership Council members conducted an in-depth analysis of the latest research on family partnerships and collaborated to create the Family Partnership Council’s recommendations to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
One of the recommendations noted that KDE should encourage districts and schools to develop local webpages that include more robust relationship-building and communication metrics regarding meaningful family and community engagement. KDE is seeking to fulfill this recommendation by highlighting districts and schools that are doing family partnerships well and what they are doing with a special focus on innovative practices.
KDE is encouraging all Kentucky districts and schools to utilize the Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families form to share their stories of creating trusting relationships with families as partners that are making a positive impact for both students and families. Stories will be shared as a resource and inspiration to other schools across the Commonwealth as we seek innovative and successful ways to partner with our parents, families and our communities.
If you are interested in learning more about those success stories already submitted, please visit the District and School Success Stories website. To learn more about the council, please visit the Family Partnership Council website.
Graduations, Grades and Unpaid Fees
Generally, a district cannot withhold grades due to unpaid fees. KRS 160.330 and 157.100, along with OAG 82-386, indicate that a school cannot withhold grades, diplomas or records as leverage to force a student to pay fees.
Taking part in a graduation ceremony – or “walking” – is a gray area since the act of the ceremony itself doesn’t confer graduate status. Instead, the diploma confers graduate status whether or not the student participates in a graduation ceremony. So long as the student is not prevented from receiving the diploma, using the graduation ceremony as leverage may be technically permissible. However, that strategy is not best practice and, in keeping with the spirit of OAG 82-386, is discouraged by the Kentucky Department of Education.
Any fee charged for participating in a graduation ceremony should be reasonable and permissible. If a graduation fee is for caps, gowns, et cetera (items incidental to the ceremony), these are reasonable fees. If the fee, however, is for the district to raise funds, this would be problematic.
As to the question of in-school detention as a consequence for a student’s failure to pay fees, this should be discouraged. Student code of conduct violations should be the only sources of student discipline such as in-school detention or in-school suspension. In-school detention or suspension deprives the student of the full instructional opportunity provided in the ordinary school day. Detention for a student who is unable to pay a fee is reminiscent of debtor’s prison and does not lead to the desired outcome for either party: payment of the fee.
The usual routes for recoupment of funds owed should be pursued, such as small claims court. This is in keeping with the Kentucky law prohibiting a school from lowering a student’s grades as a punishment for misconduct, including as a punishment for unexcused absences or tardies.
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