Thank you!
Thank you for attending our in-person SBDM endorsement training sessions! The professional learning opportunity is beneficial to your role as an SBDM coordinator and trainer, and serves as the endorsement necessary for this important work as required by KRS 160.345(6).
The Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE’s) goal is to ensure you are equipped with SBDM and training updates, which are pertinent to the success of SBDM 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 further guidance can be given.
Virtual Experienced Member Training
KDE will be hosting a virtual experienced member training on the Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement on June 16-17 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. ET. Members will have to participate on both days to obtain their certificate.
During the training, council members will learn about the comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP) and their role in developing the school’s plan. 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 council member.
To register, interested participants must complete the 2026-2027 Council’s Role with Continuous Improvement Registration form to receive additional details regarding the training opportunity.
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 Elections Guidance document.
To that end, here are several points to keep in mind when constituent groups are gearing up for the election processes:
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Teachers are elected to council by 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.
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Parents are elected to council by plurality vote. Plurality vote means receiving more votes than the other candidates. Eligible parent candidates must have a student enrolled or preregistered 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.
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Minority representation is required when a school has 8% or more student minority population. Schools may choose to use the KDE's Superintendent Annual Attendance Report (SAAR) or internal (Infinite Campus) data of enrollment on Oct. 1, 2025.
Graduation, Grades and Unpaid Fees
Generally, a district cannot withhold grades due to unpaid fees. KRS 160.330 and KRS 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 somewhat more problematic, 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 (KDE).
Any fee charged for participating in a graduation ceremony should be reasonable and permissible. If a graduation fee is for caps, gowns or other 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 prohibition on a school lowering a student’s grades as a punishment for misconduct, including as a punishment for unexcused absences or tardies.
See OAG 96-28, which outlines this conclusion and describes the analysis when a student is suspended (the missed schoolwork may not be made up since that is the essence of the punishment). A school may, however, prohibit a student’s participation in a graduation ceremony since taking part in a graduation ceremony – or “walking” – doesn’t confer graduate status. Again, restricting the student’s participation in graduation may be technically allowable as leverage, but that strategy is not best practice and not recommended by KDE in keeping with the spirit of this OAG opinion.
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