Task Force: Fully fund kindergarten, transportation; pay raise debate brewing

Also recommends beginning funding formula transition from attendance to membership

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Ahead of the Kentucky General Assembly’s upcoming January regular session, the Legislative Research Commission’s (LRC) School Funding Task Force recommended nine steps, including some major funding changes, during its meeting Monday.

And while the recommendations could begin to fundamentally change the way the state funds schools, the committee also touch on some other tough subjects, from pay raises to school choice.

The task force has spent the past six months working to put together the list of recommendations (click here), said Rep. James Tipton, a list that includes fully funding kindergarten and district transportation.

“I appreciate the thoughtful work that went into this effort and the recommendations, many of which have been longstanding pain points for school funding in Kentucky,” Commissioner of Education Jason E. Glass said following the meeting. “We now look to the General Assembly to act on these recommendations in the upcoming legislative session.”

Another topic in that discussion will be pay raises, something that hasn’t happened in a significant way in several years.

“We have to invest in our most important assets in state government and that would be our employees all the way across the board, our state police, our dedicated state employees in all our agencies as well as teachers and this is something I think we have to take a very serious and sincere look at how we appropriate for those issues as well as all others,” said state Rep. James Tipton, a Taylorsville Republican.

And during his afternoon briefing, Gov. Andy beshear said he planned to push for a teacher pay raise after the Legislature cut it in this year’s session.”

“I certainly intend to do so,” Beshear said when asked about the raise issue, noting the “sacrifice” teachers and other state workers have made during the pandemic.

Robbie Fletcher, Lawrence County superintendent and task force member, commended the inclusion of full-day kindergarten and district transportation, adding they would be “great for every single district in our state.”

State Rep. DJ Johnson echoed Fletcher’s praise for the recommendations, stating that Kentucky is “on the right track” and he looks forward to a potential interim joint committee being established in 2022 to continue studying and reviewing issues related to school funding.

“I think we’re beyond the first step in this process,” he said. “I hate it when we say that we’re on the first step only. We’re beyond that, but we’re not at the last step yet either. I think that interim committee for 2022 will be vital and very much worthwhile.”

Upon approval, the recommendations now will be sent to house and senate leadership, Sen. Max Wise said. Wise has served as the task force’s co-chair alongside Tipton since the group’s inaugural meeting in June.

“I think these are excellent recommendations,” Wise said. “… I’m excited going forward.”

Officials from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) also met with the task force during Monday’s meeting to provide a report on the equitable transfer of education funds between resident and nonresident districts, as required under section four of House Bill (HB) 563 and section 15 of HB 405.

With Monday’s meeting being the final School Funding Task Force meeting before the regular session, KDE Associate Commissioner Robin Kinney expressed the department’s gratitude for the task force and said KDE looks forward to continuing this conversation on behalf of students.

“I want to express our appreciation on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Education for allowing us to be a member of the task force and also for having school district superintendents and school board members represented,” Kinney said. “They are the people on the ground assisting our students and our staff every single day. It’s such a wonderful conversation that we’ve been allowed to participate in.”

While the committee’s meeting was overwhelmingly positive, the state’s new school choice legislation, which is tied up in court, raises many questions that haven’t been addressed, the committee was told. In addition to how to share funding for students who change schools and counties, educators said so-called ‘open borders’ also raise questions about transportation, distance for student travel, and even utilities.

“So again, when we talk about funding, there’s more to the picture than just funding, I think everyone knows that. You talk about open borders, there’s a possibility of closing schools, for other districts it could be opening more schools, so it’s something to keep in mind,” Fletcher said.

TAKE SOTVO

CG: State Rep. James Tipton/(R) Taylorsville (23 seconds)

“We have to invest in our most important assets in state government and that would be our employees all the way across the board, our state police, our dedicated state employees in all our agencies as well as teachers and this is something I think we have to take a very serious and sincere look at how we appropriate for those issues as well as all others.”

Teachers and other state employees have not had major pay raises in several years