Primary and Secondary Education

Amend KRS 158.6453 to require a school district's advanced coursework plan to include middle school mathematics strategies to enable students to enroll in Algebra I by grade 8.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program; define terms; establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program fund; establish eligibility criteria for the program; direct the Education and Labor Cabinet to administer the program; provide payments to program providers for students who complete specified milestones; require program result reporting to the Kentucky Board of Education, the Secretary of State, and the Legislative Research Commission; specify a program end date of July 1, 2029.

Amend KRS 161.155 to allow school district employees to use sick leave for observance of religious holidays not otherwise included on the school's calendar if the employee submits a personal statement verifying the observance and gives advance notice to the district; permit local school districts to compensate teachers and employees prior to retirement for accrued accumulated sick leave above 15 days at up to 30% of the teacher's or employee's daily wage; provide that compensation for sick leave compensated prior to retirement shall not impact retirement benefits or contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System or County Employees Retirement System and shall be considered as payment for services rendered; require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report to the Legislative Research Commission on school districts who have established a program to compensate unused sick leave prior to retirement; amend KRS 78.616 and 161.220 to conform and to make technical amendments.

Amend KRS 159.075 to require a school district to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child of a military family who has an individualized education program or section 504 plan shall receive comparable services when the child begins school; amend KRS 200.664 to require a point of entry to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child with an individualized family services plan shall receive comparable services prior to the child's arrival to their new location.

Establish the Early Childhood Education Governance and Outcomes Task Force; list the duties and members of the task force; require the task force to meet monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly and to submit a report by December 1, 2026.