Education

Amend KRS 161.500 to allow members of the Teachers' Retirement System to recover up to 10 unpaid days that were missed to observe religious holidays; include the recovered days in count of days worked for service credit; EMERGENCY.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require a salary supplement for school social workers who have been nationally certified by the School Social Work Association of America and are employed by local boards of education if funding is provided for such purpose, permit local boards of education to provide a supplement from other resources if funding is not provided, and require inclusion of the supplement for Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System calculations; create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require a salary supplement for school psychologists who have been nationally certified by the National Association of School Psychologists and are employed by local boards of education if funding is provided for such purpose, permit local boards of education to provide a supplement from other resources if funding is not provided, and require inclusion of the supplement for Teachers’ Retirement System calculations.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 159 to require a local school district to enroll a student on a part-time basis for courses or programs in a school, subject to standard enrollment policies and procedures; permit part-time enrollment in a local school district to partially satisfy compulsory attendance; prohibit part-time enrollee participation in interscholastic athletics; amend KRS 158.120 to specify that a nonresident pupil policy shall not discriminate on certain factors; prohibit a local school district from charging tuition to a parent or guardian; require school districts to determine and publish nonresident enrollment capacity; require the Kentucky Board of Education to create nonresident pupil enrollment application forms and specify the application process; require reporting by school districts and the Kentucky Department of Education on nonresident enrollment; create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; create a formula for distribution of any state appropriated funds to eligible school districts for nonresident students; amend KRS 156.070 and KRS 157.350 to conform; require each school district to report on nonresident pupils and tuition charged during the 2026-2027 school year; require the Kentucky Department of Education to submit a compiled report to the Legislative Research Commission; EFFECTIVE, in part, July 1, 2028.

Amend KRS 164.515 to allow the spouse or a child under the age of 26 of a disabled veteran free tuition at public universities, colleges, or vocational traiing institutions for up to 128 credit hours of undergraduate instruction.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; permit local school districts to develop and implement a local accountability system; require data publication on the local accountability system; require the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide technical assistance in the development of local accountability; permit KDE to incentivize local accountability; set the time frame for requiring local accountability in all local school districts; authorize the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate necessary administrative regulations; amend KRS 158.6453 to update terminology regarding academic standards; remove specific writing and editing and mechanics as required summative assessments; require KDE to incorporate a writing program into academic standards and professional development; require school-based decision making councils to adopt a writing program policy and publish it on the school's website; remove requirement for KDE to establish recommendations on using preliminary assessment data to identify students for advanced coursework; amend KRS 158.6455 to add individual student growth metric and student engagement as state indicators in the accountability system, remove quality of school climate and safety as state indicator, remove "status" and "change" metrics from state accountability system; amend KRS 158.6459, 164.7874, and 157.069 to conform.

Amend KRS 164.7879 to increase the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship base amount for each eligible grade point average; increase the supplemental award amounts; require a supplemental award for eligible Cambridge Advanced International scores; amend KRS 164.7882 to increase the award amount for an eligible student enrolled in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program; amend KRS 164.7874, 164.7881, 164.7884, and 164.7885 to conform; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2026.

Amend KRS 156.160 to require any course meeting the health requirement for high school graduation include information on direct the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations to organ donation.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 171 to establish the Kids Love to Read Program; specify the program is for children in kindergarten through grade 5; require books to be sent to children's homes; require the Department for Libraries and Archives to promulgate administrative regulations necessary to administer the program; appropriate $500,000 in fiscal year 2027-2028 to support the program; APPROPRIATION.

HB 277 bans Kentucky public schools from selling or providing ultra-processed foods containing specific additives (like certain dyes and brominated oils) during the school day, starting in the 2027-2028 school year. It directly affects all Kentucky public schools and students by prohibiting these foods in cafeterias, vending machines, school stores, and student-organized fundraisers held during school hours. The bill defines "ultra-processed food" by listing 11 specific additives with their chemical identifiers, but does not restrict food sales at off-property fundraisers or outside school hours. This policy change aims to limit student access to foods containing the listed additives during the school day.

Amend KRS 158.196 to require the incorporation of instruction on the Civil Rights movement in the social studies academic standards for elementary through high school; specify minimum requirements; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.