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Dear Colleagues,
As the budget proposal makes its way through the state legislature, we at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) are watching to see how the proposal changes in the Senate and what lawmakers will ultimately agree on ahead of the veto break, which starts April 2.
The House passed its budget on Feb. 26 with several notable changes from the version lawmakers introduced earlier in the session, some of which address the concerns we had with the original version.
House Bill 500 increases Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) program funding to $4,626 per pupil for the 2026-2027 school year and $4,792 for the 2027-2028 school year. The bill also restores SEEK transportation funding to 2025-2026 levels, meaning transportation would be 81% funded under the current proposal. We at KDE have communicated with legislators, including those on the House and Senate budget committees, how much funding is needed to fully fund the transportation needs of every school district in the Commonwealth -- $492 million – and we plan to continue pushing for that funding because of how important transportation funds are for our districts.
The cap on the state’s contribution to employee health care plans has also been dropped under the current proposal, which would alleviate the concerns we had about healthcare costs skyrocketing for our teachers and all state employees. This was a serious point of contention for many of you, and as the bill progresses, we will be watching to see if anything further happens on this.
There are a number of areas we at KDE would like to see addressed in the budget – including our additional budget requests – to ensure Kentucky schools have what you need to give the Commonwealth’s students the quality education they deserve. Legislative leaders have indicated they may include some one-time spending in a standalone House bill in addition to House Bill 500.
Regardless of how the legislative session goes from here, we at KDE will continue keeping you informed and advocating for what Kentucky schools need.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Application Deadline Extended for 2026-2027 Non-Voting Members of Kentucky Board of Education
The application deadline has been extended for the next non-voting teacher and student members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE). The new deadline is March 31 at 5 p.m. ET.
Each member would serve a one-year term, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
As mandated by Kentucky law, the KBE develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky’s 171 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education.
The KBE has 15 members. The governor appoints 11 voting members: seven representing the Supreme Court districts and four representing the state at large. The additional members – the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the secretary of the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, a high school student and an active elementary or secondary school teacher – serve as non-voting members.
Non-Voting Teacher Member Application
To be considered for the non-voting teacher position, the applicant must be employed on a full-time basis by a Kentucky public school district in a position for which Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) certification is required, not employed in an administrative role and must reside in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District includes these counties: Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Carter (partial), Gallatin, Grant, Greenup, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Nelson (partial), Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble.
Required materials for the teacher application include the online KBE non-voting teacher application, resume, narrative statement explaining why the applicant wants to serve as a non-voting teacher member of the board, a statement of assurance that the applicant meets the definition of a “teacher” as defined in 701 KAR 5:160, and a description of any pending or final disciplinary action against the applicant by the EPSB.
Non-Voting Student Member Application
For the non-voting student position, the applicant must be enrolled in a Kentucky public high school, be a junior at the time of appointment to the KBE (which means a sophomore at the time of the application submission) and must reside in Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District.
Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District includes these counties: Barren, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Daviess, Edmonson, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Jefferson (partial), LaRue, Logan (partial), McLean, Meade, Muhlenberg, Nelson (partial), Ohio and Warren.
Required materials for the student application include the online KBE non-voting student application, resume, narrative statement explaining why the applicant wants to serve as a non-voting student member of the board, two letters of recommendation from a teacher, school administrator, employer, coach or volunteer supervisor explaining why the applicant should be appointed to the board; a parent statement of support and an optional school statement of support.
More details can be found in the article about the 2026-2027 KBE non-voting member applications on Kentucky Teacher.
Upcoming Impact Kentucky Webinars
Session 1: Impact Kentucky 2025-2026: From Insight to Strategic Action, Tuesday, March 17 at 10 a.m. ET.
Session Overview
As districts and schools begin shaping their 2026-2027 strategic and school improvement plans, this 60-minute session offers leaders a structured opportunity to translate 2025-2026 Impact Kentucky Working Conditions survey results into focused, actionable next steps.
Rather than simply reviewing data, participants will engage in a facilitated process designed to help them:
- Identify high-leverage trends and priority areas within their results
- Reflect on progress since prior survey cycles
- Surface strengths to sustain and scale
- Determine strategic focus areas for the upcoming planning year
- Align survey insights with district and school improvement planning processes
Through guided analysis, collaborative discussion, and structured planning time, leaders will leave with clearer priorities and concrete strategies to inform their 2026–2027 plans.
Why Attend?
Impact Kentucky results provide powerful insight into staff experiences, organizational conditions, and opportunities for growth. This session supports leaders in moving from inquiry to implementation — ensuring survey results meaningfully inform decision-making, resource allocation, and improvement planning.
Participants will:
- Strengthen alignment between survey findings and strategic goals
- Identify actionable steps that can be embedded into existing planning cycles
- Learn from peer leaders’ approaches and best practices
- Consider how to leverage internal and external supports to elevate adult well-being and organizational effectiveness
This session is most impactful for districts and schools that are prepared to integrate survey-driven action steps into established improvement planning routines and communication structures.
Session 2: Impact Kentucky 2025-2026: From Insight to Strategic Action, Thursday, March 19 at 3 p.m. ET.
Session Overview
As districts and schools begin shaping their 2026-2027 strategic and school improvement plans, this 60-minute session offers leaders a structured opportunity to translate 2025-2026 Impact Kentucky Working Conditions survey results into focused, actionable next steps.
Rather than simply reviewing data, participants will engage in a facilitated process designed to help them:
- Identify high-leverage trends and priority areas within their results
- Reflect on progress since prior survey cycles
- Surface strengths to sustain and scale
- Determine strategic focus areas for the upcoming planning year
- Align survey insights with district and school improvement planning processes
Through guided analysis, collaborative discussion, and structured planning time, leaders will leave with clearer priorities and concrete strategies to inform their 2026-2027 plans.
Why Attend?
Impact Kentucky results provide powerful insight into staff experiences, organizational conditions, and opportunities for growth. This session supports leaders in moving from inquiry to implementation — ensuring survey results meaningfully inform decision-making, resource allocation, and improvement planning.
Participants will:
- Strengthen alignment between survey findings and strategic goals
- Identify actionable steps that can be embedded into existing planning cycles
- Learn from peer leaders’ approaches and best practices
- Consider how to leverage internal and external supports to elevate adult well-being and organizational effectiveness
This session is most impactful for districts and schools that are prepared to integrate survey-driven action steps into established improvement planning routines and communication structures.
Annual Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education directory request
Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), in partnership with Kentucky’s public colleges and universities is requesting directory-level information for 10th and 11th grade students to expand college access and support across the Commonwealth. Amanda Ellis shared his request with superintendents by email on Feb. 24, including a letter requesting directory information. KSIS/Infinite Campus points of contact have also been advised of this request. KDE encourages districts to respond to help promote college awareness and services available to students.
The requested data (name, address, email, phone number, date of birth and grade level) will allow institutions to directly share information about college options, affordability, FAFSA completion, scholarships, campus visits and application opportunities.
This request aligns with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which permits the release of designated directory information. Please remove any data not defined as “directory” in the district’s annual FERPA notice, leave the column placement but delete the actual data before sharing. Also, remove any students that have opted out of FERPA directory data sharing.
Districts are asked to submit the Infinite Campus Ad-hoc report (CPE–College Directory Information v2) by March 20 to cpestudentdirectory@ky.gov. Data will be securely uploaded into CPE’s Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System and shared with public institutions to better support students’ postsecondary planning and decision-making.
This has been an annual request since 2021, but legislation has been filed this year (House Bill 307) that would change this process and create additional requirements on both KDE and districts, if approved. This legislation necessitates revisiting FERPA directory definitions, creating processes for collection and communication of parent consent and student opt outs. Schools will also be required to communicate directly regarding postsecondary eligibility. If you are not already familiar with House Bill 307, you may want to review to see how your district's process can be aligned if this is approved.
For questions, please email Amanda Ellis, CPE’s senior vice president of student access and success.
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