Public education in Kentucky

in Kentucky

Fiscal Budgets Kentucky state budget and finances Tax policy in Kentucky Finance Financial regulation in Kentucky Pensions Public pensions in Kentucky Pension health in Kentucky Civil liberties Affirmative action in Kentucky Campaign finance requirements in Kentucky Campaign finance requirements for Kentucky ballot measures Nonprofit regulation in Kentucky Education Charter schools in Kentucky Higher education in Kentucky Public education in Kentucky School choice in Kentucky Elections Ballot access Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kentucky Ballot access requirements for political parties in Kentucky Political parties in Kentucky Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Kentucky Redistricting in Kentucky Voting in Kentucky Energy and Environment Energy policy in Kentucky Fracking in Kentucky Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Kentucky Endangered species in Kentucky Environmental policy in Kentucky Healthcare Healthcare policy in Kentucky Medicaid spending in Kentucky Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Kentucky Immigration Immigration in Kentucky

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K-12 education in Kentucky

Education facts

State superintendent: Jason Glass

Number of students: 685,167

Number of teachers: 42,769

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:16

Number of school districts: 129

Number of schools: 1,568

Graduation rate: 86.1%

Per-pupil spending: $9,316

See also

Kentucky Department of Education • List of school districts in Kentucky • Kentucky • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Kentucky Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015.

The Kentucky public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Kentucky had 685,167 students enrolled in a total of 1,568 schools in 194 school districts. There were 42,769 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 16 students, equal to the national average. There was roughly one administrator for every 209 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Kentucky spent $9,316 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 35th highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 86.1 percent in 2013.^[1][2][3]

Common Core[edit]

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. The Kentucky Department of Education adopted the standards on February 10, 2010. Full implementation took place during the 2011-2012 academic year.^[4][5]

In 2014, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear (D), Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday and State Board of Education Chair Roger L. Marcum signed a letter withdrawing Kentucky from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PAARC) testing consortium. The letter cited limited resources, public confusion about PAARC and the legal requirement for an unbiased competitive bidding process for standardized testing materials as the state's reasons for withdrawing. PAARC is an entity that distributes Common Core-affiliated standardized testing to several states, and this letter meant that Kentucky would no longer employ PAARC's tests in its schools.^[6]

An April 2015 study reported that students in Kentucky, the first state to implement Common Core standards, "made faster progress in learning" than students in states that used older standards. The study was conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The study looked at ACT test scores in Kentucky, where all 11th grade students are required to take it. The year just before Common Core standards were implemented, just after and two years after were studied. The students in the years after Common Core was implemented made more progress in terms of academic proficiency than those who took the test beforehand.^[7]

General information[edit]

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Kentucky compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. Kentucky had the fewest teachers relative to the number of students, a ratio of 1:16, among its neighboring states.

Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Schools by type[edit]

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School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Kentucky and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.^[8]

In Kentucky, there were 1,301 regular schools as of 2013. Alternative schools were the second most prevalent type of school in the state, with 135 schools classified as such.

Demographics[edit]

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Kentucky as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.^[9]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Kentucky, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 550,446, which was about 80.3 percent of the student population in the state. There were 73,391 black students in the state, which accounted for about 10.7 percent of the student population.

Enrollments by region type[edit]

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.^[10]

A plurality of students in Kentucky attended rural schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 37.7 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 62.3 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Academic performance[edit]

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia), Kentucky had the highest share of eighth grade students who scored at or above proficient in reading.^[11]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Kentucky and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[11][12][13]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[14]

Kentucky schools reported a graduation rate of 86.1 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, second highest among its neighboring states.

In Kentucky, more students took the ACT than the SAT in 2013, earning an average ACT score of 19.6.

Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Kentucky was lower than the national average at 2.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 2.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[15]

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: School choice in Kentucky

School choice options in Kentucky included open enrollment policies and some online learning programs. In addition, about 9.24 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.

Developments[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[16]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[17]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Kentucky is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures[edit]

See also: Kentucky state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[18][19]

Kentucky spent approximately 19.6 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. When compared to its neighboring states, Kentucky reported the highest percentage of its total budget spent on public education. It should be noted that this does not indicate that it spent more overall on education when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenue breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[19]

In Kentucky, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding, at about $4 billion. Kentucky reported the second lowest total revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[20]

Public education expenditures in Kentucky totaled approximately $7.4 billion in fiscal year 2012. Kentucky reported the second lowest total expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries[edit]

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Kentucky, the average salary increased by 1.2 percent.^[22]

Organizations[edit]

State agencies[edit]

See also: Kentucky Department of Education

The Kentucky Department of Education is responsible for the state's K-12 public schools. The Commissioner of Education is the chief administrator of the Department of Education. The Commissioner of Education is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Kentucky Board of Education. Terry Holliday was appointed to the position in 2009.^[23][24][25]

The Kentucky Board of Education is composed of 12 members, 11 of whom are voting members appointed by the Governor (seven from each of the state's Supreme Court districts and four selected at large). An additional member, the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, is a non-voting member. Members serve four-year terms.^[26]

Unions[edit]

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Kentucky ranked 28th overall for union power and influence, or "average," which was in the third of five tiers.^[27]

The main unions related to the Kentucky school system are the Kentucky Education Association (KEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), and AFT Kentucky (KAPE), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.^[28]

List of local Kentucky school unions:^[28]

• Kentucky Education Association
• AFT Kentucky
• Jefferson County Teachers Association
• AFT Frankfort
• Jefferson County Association of Educational Support Personnel
• Fayette County Education Association
• AFT Lexington

Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

See also: Kentucky government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Kentucky School Boards Association.

Transparency[edit]

Kentucky's Open Door provides state spending information, including expenditures on grants, contracts, and public employee salaries.The site can be accessed here.

Studies and reports[edit]

Quality Counts 2014[edit]

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Kentucky received a score of 74.4, or a C average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "transitions and alignment" at 92.9, or an A average. The lowest score was in "K-12 achievement" at 70.3, or a C- average. Kentucky's score for "transitions and alignment" matched Tennessee's, at 92.9. The chart below displays the scores of Kentucky and its surrounding states.^[29]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts[edit]

See also: School board elections portal

District types[edit]

Kentucky is made up of county school districts and independent school districts. In county school districts, members are elected from divisions, while independent school districts members are elected at-large.^[30][31]

School board composition[edit]

School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards in Kentucky are composed of five members that serve four-year terms. The exception is Jefferson County Public Schools, which has seven members. Elections are held in even-numbered years and the terms are staggered so that the terms of not more than three members of a local board expire at the same time. Any vacancy on the board must be filled by the commissioner of education within 90 days after the vacancy occurs.^[30]

Term limits[edit]

Kentucky does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.^[32]

Elections[edit]

See also: Kentucky school board elections, 2022

The table below contains links to school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2022 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2022. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment across the country.

Our coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what school board elections we are covering in your area.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

Path to the ballot[edit]

According to Kentucky state law, the following qualifications are necessary to become a school board member:^[30]

• Be at least 24 years old.
• Have been a citizen of Kentucky for at least three years preceding her election and be a voter of the district she is elected to represent.
• Have completed at least the 12th grade, been issued a GED certificate or been elected prior to July 14, 1990 with no lapse in service.
• Have signed an affidavit under penalty of perjury certifying completion of the 12th grade or the equivalent as determined by passage of the 12th-grade equivalency examination regulated by the state board of education, and have filed an affidavit with the nominating petition.
• Does not hold a state office requiring the constitutional oath and is not a member of the General Assembly.
• Does not hold or discharge the duties of any civil or political office, deputyship, or agency under city or county government.
• Is not, at the time of his election, directly or indirectly involved in the sale to the board of anything, including services, paid for with school funds.
• Has not been removed from a board of education for cause.
• Does not have a father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, son-in-law or daughter-in-law employed by the school district. This does not apply to a board member holding office on July 13, 1990 whose relative was not initially hired by the district during the board member’s tenure.

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Kentucky state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures[edit]

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Kentucky ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Kentucky Poll Tax and Separate Schools, Amendment 1 (1996)
2. Kentucky Establishes a State Board of Education, Amendment 1 (1986)
3. Kentucky 1986 ballot measures
4. Kentucky Distribution and Use of School Fund, Referendum (1953)
5. Kentucky Appropriated School Funds Referendum (1949)
6. Kentucky Equalization Fund Referendum (1941)
7. Kentucky Commissioner of Education Referendum (1957)

In the news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kentucky education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Historical public education information in Kentucky
• Kentucky state budget and finances
• Kentucky Department of Education
• List of school districts in Kentucky
• Kentucky
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External link[edit]

• Kentucky Board of Education

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Kentucky Frankfort (capital)
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