Kentucky

Kentucky superintendents hear about recent budget legislation, summer food program during webcast

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

Kentucky superintendents hear about recent budget legislation, summer food program during webcast

Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff discussed budgetary legislation from the 2024 legislative session during the Superintendents Webcast on May 14.

The main budget bill, House Bill 6, included money for school resource officers (SROs): $16.5 million in 2024-2025 and $18 million in 2025-2026. Associate Commissioner Matt Ross in the KDE Office of Finance and Operations said KDE will reimburse school districts up to $20,000 for each campus employing at least one on-site full-time certified school resource officer.

If funds are insufficient, the money will be divided proportionally through a system Ross said is still being developed by KDE.

Senate Bill (SB) 91 aims to provide relief to districts experiencing real estate growth and a potential cut in funding through the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding formula. Chay Ritter, division director in the KDE Office of Finance and Operations, said KRS 157.360(17) – which is known as the “4% adjusted assessment rule” – already allows for some relief, and SB 91 would be in addition to that relief.

Ritter said the bill is specific to real property assessments only – not the assessment used for SEEK calculations – and multiple qualifying events must occur for a district to qualify. Funds must also be available in the SEEK budget appropriation in order for districts to receive the relief.

To qualify for the 2024-2025 school year, districts and their boards:

Must have qualified in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 for the 4% adjusted assessment;
Must levy the 4% tax rate or greater in 2024-2025; and
Must have experienced a cumulative growth in real estate assessments from fiscal year 2022-2023 to 2024-2025 of more than 14.4%. KDE will adjust local effort specific to real property for growth above 14.4%.

For the 2025-2026 school year, districts and their boards:

Must have qualified in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 for the 4% adjusted assessment;
Must levy the 4% tax rate or greater in 2025-2026; and
Must have experienced a cumulative growth in real estate assessments from fiscal year 2022-2023 to 2025-2026 of more than 25.8%. KDE will adjust local effort specific to real property for growth above 25.8%.

Ritter said KDE is working on how the reporting and notification portion of the bill will be conveyed to districts. He expects if a district qualifies for the funding, payment will not occur until the SEEK final calculation that occurs on March 1 each year.

Another piece of legislation, House Bill 727, allows local boards of education to issue general obligation bonds up to 2% of their assessed property value. The bonds must be issued through a competitive solicitation process.

Ross said KDE is working with the School Facilities Construction Commission and the Kentucky Office of Financial Management on guidance for districts to break down the legislation and its potential pitfalls.

KDE staff has created legislative guidance to help school leaders navigate other recent legislation. Overall legislative guidance for the 2024 Regular Session is now available on the KDE Legislative Guidance webpage. Supplemental guidance is also available for:

Brian Perry, director of government relations for KDE, said there may be additional supplemental guidance coming from KDE.

Summer Electronic Benefits Program

Superintendents heard from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) about the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (SEBT) program.

SEBT is a permanent federal child nutrition program offering benefits to students from eligible families to help cover the cost of meals during the summer when schools are not in session.

More than 400,000 students are expected to receive SEBT in 2024. A total of $48 million has been issued in 2024 and each eligible student will receive a summer benefit of $120.

The following students are considered eligible for SEBT benefits:

School-aged students (ages 6 to 18 as of Aug. 1, 2023) who have taken part in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP), and/or Kinship Care for at least one month since July 1, 2023, will automatically receive benefits.
Families of school-aged students that do not fall into the above category but are within the guided income eligibility limits, can apply for SEBT benefits online.

CHFS Program Coordinator Jessica Hinkle said district support is critical to get students enrolled. Each school district must compile a file of all enrolled students to the secure SEBT portal starting this month. A specific Excel template will be offered to districts and Hinkle said a training session for SEBT administrators will be offered June 4.

Hinkle said any information on Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer materials that districts have online should be taken down. She also said a media toolkit will be provided to administrators for use on websites, social media platforms, newsletters and other communications.

Administrators should email SEBTschooladmin@ky.gov if they have any SEBT data-related questions.

In other business, KDE staff updated superintendents on:

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Kentucky

Trump endorsements shape Kentucky primary races

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

Trump endorsements shape Kentucky primary races

KENTUCKY (WKYT) – President Donald Trump’s endorsements of several Kentucky candidates have drawn attention to Tuesday’s U.S. Senate and House primary races, with political experts and party officials weighing in on the potential impact on voters.

Trump has been vocal on social media and in interviews about who should represent Kentucky in Washington.

“Something like an endorsement from President Trump or good coverage in partisan media can make the difference,” said Dr. Stephen Voss, a specialist in elections and voting behavior at the University of Kentucky.

Voss said presidential endorsements, especially from Trump, can easily sway a close election. He said the average voter is looking for a shortcut on who to push forward in the primary.

“Party identification drives how a lot of people vote, but in a party primary, that doesn’t help,” Voss said. “Voters in Kentucky that are republican are choosing republican politicians; voters need shortcuts so they can get their homework done, pick a candidate and move on. A Donald Trump endorsement for a lot of voters is the guideline they’d use to determine how to vote.”

Questions still remain surrounding Trump’s decisions to speak against certain candidates who have disagreed with him, including U.S. Representative Thomas Massie. The president endorsed Massie’s opponent, Ed Gallrein.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge called it petty politics.

“Who we send to congress, who’s in the United States Senate — they affect people’s real lives and Donald Trump really is detached from the lives of the Emerican people and people right here in Kentucky,” Elridge said.

Adam Hope with the Republican Party of Kentucky said while the party cannot show favoritism, they support Trump’s decisions.

“Our president is definitely endorsing some candidates he feels like are gonna get the job done and advance his agenda in the best way he sees fit,” Hope said.

Hope said while these endorsements may not necessarily bring more people to the polls, they will get more people’s attention as to why primary races are important.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats News: Jamal Crawford dream lives on

Published

20 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Wildcats News: Jamal Crawford dream lives on

Former NBA sixth-man of the year winner Jamal Crawford has been a star for NBC and Peacock on their NBA coverage this season. After spending a season with MSG contributing to their coverage of the New York Knicks, Crawford joined one of the major networks and has shined all season long. It’s been reported that […]

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Kentucky

Ky. women work to combat period poverty, free period pantries open in Lexington and beyond

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2026

Press Room

Ky. women work to combat period poverty, free period pantries open in Lexington and beyond

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Gov. Andy Beshear signed a proclamation on May 5. It officially marks May 11-17 as Period Poverty Awareness Week in Kentucky.

According to a fact sheet from Alliance for Period Supplies, one in five women and girls in Kentucky between the ages of 12 and 44 live below the federal poverty level. Nationwide, two out of five people who get periods struggle to afford period products.

Skylar Davis founded Period Y’all in 2022. Since then, the organization has been fighting to end period poverty in the Commonwealth. Davis said the group has installed free menstrual product pantries in seven Kentucky counties.

That includes Letcher, Madison, Garrard, Jessamine, McCracken, Jefferson, and Washington County.

Davis said recent cost increases have left many with a difficult choice.

“Choosing between period products and feeding their kids,” Davis said.

Davis said many have had to skip work or school because of a lack of resources.

But through her organization’s work, she’s able to make a change.

This week alone, they were able to give out more than 19,000 free period products.

Skylar Davis, Period Y’all founder.(Period Y’all)

“Anything that we can do to raise awareness about this experience and help alleviate this is monumental,” Davis said.

Emily Yonter, creator of the more than 60,000 member Ladies of Lexington Facebook page, has noticed the problem too.

“We get tons of requests, pretty much daily, of women in the area needing period products,” Yonter said.

That’s why she and other members of the group launched “The Pink Box” last week on West Sixth Street downtown, right across from Coolavin Park.

Yonter said it’s simple to use. Anyone can open the door, take what they need and leave what they can.

“It’s time to start being more direct and be more hands on with the community,” Yonter said.

“We’re just really grateful that the community wanted to help us make it happen and that so many women in ladies of lex donated,” Yonter said.

Both groups rely on the community to keep these pantries stocked and they hope to open more pantries in Kentucky.

Ladies of Lexington is accepting monetary and supply donations. They also are now selling merchandise, and that money will go towards buying period products.

Period Y’all has an Amazon Wishlist and monetary donation link for anybody who’d like to donate.

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