Education

Amend KRS 164.5161 to define "spouse"; rename the National Guard Tuition Award Program the National Guard Tuition Scholarship Program; allow current National Guard members and their spouses up to 130 total credit hours at a postsecondary institution; allow the total number of credit hours to be transferrable between the member and his or her spouse; grant authority to the adjutant general to award up to 45 additional nontransferable credit hours within the program; amend KRS 164.5165 and 164.5169 to conform.

Amend KRS 158.6453 to require a local board of education to maintain a district plan on the promotion of advanced coursework in mathematics; beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, establish requirements for the plan to automatically enroll students in grade 8 into Algebra I or higher courses for high school credit with specific conditions; until the 2036-2037 school year, direct the Kentucky Department of Education to submit a report on students in grade 8 taking math courses for high school credit to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 158.791 to conform; authorize local board of education to implement the plan prior to the start of the 2028-2029 school year; require superintendents to submit an implementation plan to the local board of education.

SB 236 would create a program to help Kentucky certified teachers purchase personal computers. The Kentucky Board of Education would arrange competitive bidding to get low prices for teachers and organize training with vendors. This bill directly affects all certified teachers in Kentucky by offering discounted computers and training support. It is a procedural bill focused on implementing a specific education support program, not changing existing laws.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to make findings and declarations about locally driven innovation and the intent of the General Assembly to permit flexibility for school districts to improve practices; amend KRS 156.161 to modify the waiver process and the waiver authority of the Kentucky Board of Education; require the Kentucky Department of Education to assist local boards of education in the development of waiver requests; specify the analysis the department shall provide to the state board in reviewing a local board's waiver request; establish a process for a local board to submit a request for a school or program to be identified as a school of innovation with a set of waivers that operate collectively; provide protections for school districts that rely on waiver assistance from the department; create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to require the state board to establish a list of expedited waivers; establish the expedited waiver process and authority; require the state board to annually review all waivers granted to determine necessary changes to administrative regulations or statutes or identify new best practices; amend KRS 157.360 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to establish the school of innovation pilot project; establish the school of innovation pilot project fund; provide procedures for the operation of the pilot project; conclude the pilot project on June 30, 2028; require the department to annually report information and findings from the pilot project to the Legislative Research Commission.

Support the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' special pastoral message on immigration; affirm the protection of houses of worship, schools, and hospitals from immigration enforcement action within the Commonwealth.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to define terms, require postsecondary education institutions to designate at least 1 employee to serve as a liaison between the institution and a homeless student or student in care who is enrolled at the institution; detail responsibilities of the liaison, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the institution; require an institution to create a position to carry out the responsibilities of a liaison if the number of students experiencing homelessness or students in care exceeds 2% of the student body; require the Council on Postsecondary Education to submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission on students experiencing homelessness, students in care, and the impact of liaisons.

Amend KRS 157.320 to define "at risk" and "teaming partner"; amend KRS 157.3175 to require each local school district to provide preschool to 4 year olds who reside in a household with an income at or below 160% of the poverty level until the end of the 2030-2031 school year and beginning with the 2031-2032 school year, require each local school district to provide preschool to each 4 year old who is at risk; provide requirements for program guidelines; require the Kentucky Department of Education to establish and maintain a statewide unified data system; create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require local school districts to maintain certification from the Head Start director that Head Start is fully utilized; provide penalties; require local school districts to prepare and submit preschool expansion plans to the deparment; require the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding preschool expansion; require the department to submit a report the the Legislative Research Commission annually regarding preschool expansion.

Amend KRS 156.557 to permit a superintendent to initiate summative evaluations; require that summative evaluations be provided to the local board of education.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to create the Promise Program to provide scholarships to eligible students of a teacher preparation program; define terms; specify the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority may provide promise awards to eligible students; require 5 years of qualified teaching service; require repayment if services are not rendered; specify that failure to meet repayment obligations shall be cause for revocation of a teaching certificate.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 197 to establish the Kentucky Community and Technical College System Prison Education Program within the Department of Corrections in partnership with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to provide inmates with job training; require KCTCS to construct a facility to house the program at Northpoint Training Center; establish convictions that preclude participation in the program; require the parties to enter into a memorandum of agreement establishing the responsibilities of each party; amend KRS 196.281 to establish entitlement to a certificate of employability upon successful completion of the program and require reporting by the department; amend KRS 335B.020 to establish that a person shall not be disqualified from public employment or obtaining an occupational license solely because of previous criminal conviction and obtaining a certificate of employment from the department shall constitute rebuttable evidence of rehabilitation and fitness for the occupation; amend KRS 355B.030 to remove a conviction of a Class A felony, Class B felony, or any other felony offense other than a conviction that would qualify the individual as a registrant as defined in KRS 17.500 as supportive of a rebuttable presumption of a connection between that conviction and a license issuance request.