Kentucky Senate Bill proposes major changes to school board structure

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) -A new bill in the Kentucky legislature would fundamentally change how school boards are structured across the state, tying the number of board members directly to student enrollment numbers.

Senate Bill 202, proposed by Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, (R) of Smithfield would require the Kentucky Board of Education to determine the necessary number of members for each school board based on average daily enrollment over the previous three years. The changes would take effect beginning in 2033.

Board sizes would vary by enrollment

Under the proposed legislation, districts would have different numbers of board members based on their size:

• Districts with 15,000 students or fewer would have five board members
• Districts with 15,001 to 30,000 students would have seven members
• Districts with 30,001 to 45,000 students would have nine members
• Districts with 45,001 to 60,000 students would have 11 members
• Districts with 60,001 to 75,000 students would have 13 members
• Districts with more than 75,001 students would have 15 members

The Kentucky Board of Education would make these determinations in the first four months of 2033 and every 10 years thereafter.

According to the Ky. Department of Education, Fayette County Public Schools had 40,792 students in the 2024-25 school year, so under this bill, the Fayette County Board of Education would increase from five to nine members.

Implementation timeline and process

The bill includes provisions for how the changes would be implemented. If a regular election occurs in the same year the determination is made, additional members would be selected during that election. If no regular election occurs, the additional positions would be considered vacancies and filled at the next regularly scheduled election.

For districts that need to reduce their board size, the reduction would happen by decreasing the number of members up for election at the next scheduled election.

Division requirements remain

County school districts would still need to divide into divisions for election purposes, with members elected from specific geographic areas. Independent school districts would continue electing members at-large.

The legislation requires county school boards to redraw their divisions within 30 days of receiving notice from the state board. The divisions must contain integral voting precincts and be as equal in population as practicable.

Immediate implementation provision

While the regular timeline calls for changes beginning in 2033, the bill includes a provision requiring the Kentucky Board of Education to make initial determinations by December 31, 2026. Districts required to add members would need to make division changes within 30 days, with new positions filled as appointed vacancies until the next regular election.

The bill also removes specific references to Jefferson County’s seven-member board structure that was established after the merger of Louisville city and county school systems.

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