Education (Libraries)

This bill amends Kentucky law to clarify how public school districts must share financial information with the community. It requires school boards to publish annual financial statements and report cards either in a local newspaper, on the district website, or at the main public library branch. If the documents are posted online or at a library, the district must also publish a notice in the newspaper explaining where the public can view them. The amendment ensures all school systems prepare financial statements using consistent methods for easier comparison.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms, restrict digital instruction time for students in kindergarten to grade 5 to 45 minutes per student per day; exclude designated uses of technology from the restriction; direct in-person elementary schools to require at least 70% of student assignments to be written; require daily access to traditional learning material; require incorporation of physical manipulatives into math and science instruction; prohibit replacing primary instruction with instructional technology for designated elementary subjects; prohibit homework that requires instructional technology; prohibit requiring students to carry instructional technology to and from school daily; prohibit replacing library time with digital reading labs; require each school district to adopt a written technology-use policy; require school districts to publish an annual technology use report that includes designated items to its website.

This bill amends Kentucky law to clarify how public school districts must share financial information with the community. It requires school superintendents to publish annual financial statements and report cards either in the largest local newspaper, on the district website, or at the main public library. If the documents are posted online or at the library, the superintendent must also notify the public through the newspaper about where to access them. The amendment also ensures all school systems prepare financial statements using consistent accounting methods for easier comparison.

This bill amends Kentucky law to clarify how public school districts must publish their annual financial statements and school report cards. It requires school superintendents to make these documents available either in the largest county newspaper, on the district's website, or as printed copies at the main public library. If the district chooses to post documents online or at the library, it must also publish a notice in the newspaper telling the public where to find them. The amendment also ensures all financial statements are prepared using consistent accounting methods across different school systems.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; establish the Classroom Library Grant Program; provide that the Kentucky Department of Education to implement the grant program through selection of a program administrator; establish the qualifications and duties of the program administrator; appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to implement the Classroom Library Grant Program; APPROPRIATION.

Direct the Department for Libraries and Archives and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to cooperate in exploring ways to increase enrollment in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program; direct the department and the cabinet to submit a report on the progress of identifying ways of increasing enrollment in the program to the Governor and the Legislative Research Commission by November 1, 2026.

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.