Kentucky Board of Education to hold virtual regular meeting on Feb. 4-5

Kentucky Department of Education sent this bulletin at 02/03/2026 11:14 AM EST
Meeting notice graphic featuring the Kentucky Department of Education and United We Learn logos

Meeting Advisory

Media Contact: Jennifer Ginn

Director of Communications 

Office: (502) 564-2000 ext. 4601
jennifer.ginn@education.ky.gov

Advisory 26-22

 

Feb. 3, 2026

Kentucky Board of Education to hold virtual regular meeting on Feb. 4-5

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) will hold its regular meeting via video teleconference on Feb. 4-5. The Feb. 4 session will begin at 1 p.m. ET and the Feb. 5 session will begin at 9 a.m. ET. Due to impending weather, the meeting will now be held via video teleconference.

KBE has statutory authority to manage all common or public schools in the Commonwealth and all programs operated in such schools.

A dedicated public comment segment is included on the board’s agenda. Due to the switch to an entirely virtual meeting, written comments will be accepted via email and distributed to members for review; however, the comments may not be read during the meeting. Anyone wanting to submit public expression may email kbe@education.ky.gov prior to the close of business on Feb. 3. Individuals must provide their name and an email address where they can receive a response.

Members of the public may watch a livestream of the meeting on the KDE Media Portal. The previously advertised opportunity to view this meeting in person at the Kentucky Department of Education is no longer available. Meeting agendas and materials may be viewed on the KBE Agenda Book.

For further information concerning how KBE meetings are conducted, please view the KBE Policy Manual.

Announcement of this meeting is pursuant to the Open Meetings Act.

A full agenda follows:

 

Kentucky Board of Education Regular Meeting
Feb. 4, 2026, 1 p.m. ET
Watch Live on the KDE Media Portal

Agenda

  • Call to Order
  • Roll Call
  • Public Comment Session- This segment is limited to 10 speakers at a maximum of three minutes each. If there are multiple members of an organization, we encourage the membership of that group to select one person to comment.
  • Internal Board Business (Action/Discussion)
    • Summary Minutes for the Dec. 3, 2025, KBE Regular Meeting Day 1; Dec. 3, 2025, KBE United We Learn Committee Meeting; Dec. 3, 2025, KBE State Schools Committee Meeting; Dec. 4, 2025, KBE Regular Meeting Day 2; Jan. 7, 2026, KBE Virtual Regular Meeting; and Jan. 28, 2026, KBE Awards Committee Meeting
    • Recipient of the 2026 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education
  • Consent Agenda
    • Hearing Officer's Report- KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd G. Allen
    • Litigation Report - KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd G. Allen
    • Recommended Approval of the Amendment to 704 KAR 3:305, Minimum requirement for high school graduation- KDE Deputy Commissioner Thomas Tucker, Ph.D., KDE Chief Academic Officer Micki Ray Marinelli and KDE Policy Advisor Sarah Medley
    • Recommended Approval of the Statement of Consideration for 704 KAR 3:410, Preschool education program- KDE Associate Commissioner Gretta Hylton, Ed.D., and KDE Policy Advisor Melody Cooper
    • Recommended Approval of the Appointment of Rhonda Bodner to the Kentucky School for the Deaf Advisory Board- KDE Associate Commissioner Gretta Hylton, Ed.D., and KDE Division Director Shannon Sparkman
    • Recommended Approval of the 2025-2026 Tax Rates Levied- KDE Associate Commissioner Matt Ross and KDE Division Director Chay Ritter
    • Recommended Approval of Waiver Requests 2026-WV-001, 2026-WV-002, 2026-WV-003, 2026-WV-004, 2026-WV-005, 2026-WV-006, 2026-WV-007, 2026-WV-008, 2026-WV-009, 2026-WV-010, 2026-WV-011, 2026-WV-012, 2026-WV-013, 2026-WV-014, 2026-WV-015, 2026-WV-016, 2026-WV-017, 2026-WV-018, 2026-WV-019, 2026-WV-020, 2026-WV-023, 2026-WV-025, 2026-WV-026, 2026-WV-027, 2026-WV-028, 2026-WV-029, 2026-WV-030, 2026-WV-031, 2026-WV-032, 2026-WV-033, 2026-WV-034, 2026-WV-041, 2026-WV-043, 2026-WV-047, 2026-WV-049, 2026-WV-050, 2026-WV-051, 2026-WV-052, 2026-WV-053, 2026-WV-054, 2026-WV-056, 2026-WV-057, 2026-WV-058, 2026-WV-059, 2026-WV-060, Jefferson County Schools- KDE Associate Commissioner Gretta Hylton, Ed.D., KDE Division Director Carol Ann Morrison and KDE Policy Advisor Melody Cooper
    • Recommended Denial of Waiver Request 2026-WV-048, Covington Independent Schools - KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd G. Allen
  • Good News
  • Board Member Sharing
  • United We Learn/Teaching and Learning Committee (NOTE: Committees will meet simultaneously)
    • We Lead Computer Science Report and KDE Update on Computer Science (CS)- We Lead Computer Science Chief Executive Officer Alicia Sells, KDE Chief Academic Officer Micki Ray Marinelli and KDE CS Lead Sean Jackson
  • State Schools Committee
    • Career and Technical Education (CTE) Updates - KDE Associate Commissioner Beth Hargis, Ed.D., and KDE Policy Advisor Lauren Graves, Ph.D.
  • Action/Discussion Items
    • Report on United We Learn/Teaching and Learning Committee on Action/Discussion Items
    • Report on State Schools Committee on Action/Discussion Items
  • Review Items
    • Presentation of Strategic Dashboard- KDE Chief Performance Officer Karen Dodd and KDE Strategic Plan Manager Susan Strange
    • Update from 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year (KTOY)- 2026 KTOY Michelle Gross and KDE Program Consultant Allie Green
    • Legislative Update - KDE Director of Government Relations Brian Perry, Ph.D.
  • Adjournment

Kentucky Board of Education Regular Meeting
Feb. 5, 2026, 9 a.m. ET
Watch Live on the KDE Media Portal

Agenda

  • Call to Order
  • Roll Call
  • Reports
    • Report from the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB)- Chair Amber Snell
    • Report from the President of the Council on Postsecondary Education- President Aaron Thompson, Ph.D.
    • Report from the Secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet- Secretary Jamie Link
    • Report from the Commissioner of Education- Commissioner Robbie Fletcher

  • Review Items

    • The State of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Kentucky - KDE Associate Commissioner Beth Hargis, Ed.D., Policy Advisor Lauren Graves, Ph.D., and Division Directors Beth Engle and Thom Thompson

    • Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Annual Update

      • Annual Report on Management and Operations- KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett, KHSAA General Counsel Chad Collins, and KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd Allen

      • Annual Report on Title IX Reviews and Deficiencies- KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett, KHSAA General Counsel Chad Collins, and KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd Allen

  • Action/Discussion Item

    • Amendment to 702 KAR 7:065. Designation of agent to manage middle and high school interscholastic athletics- KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett, KHSAA General Counsel Chad Collins, and KDE Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Todd Allen

  • Review Items (continued)

    • 2024-2025 Student Group Performance - KDE Associate Commissioner Jennifer Stafford, Ed.D, KDE Chief Performance Officer Karen W. Dodd, KDE Strategic Data Analyst Leslie McKinney, and KDE Chief Academic Officer Micki Ray Marinelli

    • Presentation of the 2025 Kevin C. Brown Strategic Brown Award Recipient - Commissioner Robbie Fletcher and KBE Chair Sharon Robinson, Ed.D.

  • Adjournment