School News from Around Kentucky

Governor Beshear Reveals Education Plans at KASS: While Kentucky faces a $1 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year, Governor Steve Beshear spoke to school superintendents on the future of Kentucky education. Beshear stated he has a plan to balance the budget that involves using federal stimulus money and making 2.6% more spending cuts for the majority of state government. What was of great interest to Beshear's audience of school superintendents was his intention to preserve the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky funding program, otherwise known as SEEK. (WBKO Video)



Ed Secretary: Governor’s budget fix flatlines SEEK at 2009 level, cuts other K-12 funding: Just after Gov. Steve Beshear outlined his general plan in Frankfort to address the state’s projected $996 million revenue shortfall, Education Cabinet Secretary Helen Mountjoy was in Bowling Green, filling in the blanks regarding elementary and secondary education for more than 70 of the state’s superintendents:

• the SEEK formula, the state’s primary school funding mechanism, will be held at the current $3,866 per pupil for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. While that is not a cut, it is less than the increase in SEEK originally budgeted in the second year of the 2008-2010 biennium.
• enacted funding levels for teacher retirement and school employee health insurance expenses will not be cut.
• the remaining K-12 programs in the state budget will be reduced by approximately 2.6 percent, a cut similar to that the governor plans for the rest of state government.
• Mandated 1 percent pay raises for school employees must be given, but there will be no more state money to cover the cost.

CBE head says some districts will see reduced state funds under Gov. Beshear’s budget fix: Gov. Steve Beshear contends his plan to address the projected $996 million hole in the state’s 2009-10 budget won’t cut basic school funding. But the head of a group that studies and advocates for adequate school funding says some districts actually will see a reduction in state funding if the plan outlined Wednesday by the governor becomes law. Shelton is an applicant for the state education commissioner job. (KSBA)

State’s checkbook doesn’t balance: If Kentucky’s General Fund — the main source of income for most government programs — were your personal checking account, you’d be worried. Having the General Fund’s $8.4 billion in tax revenue to spend might be nice, but with that money comes $9.1 billion in spending commitments. In other words, the state’s paycheck — tax payments, fees and fines — doesn’t cover its bills. In fact, lawmakers have been forced to scrounge up nearly $2 billion in one-time money to fund the state’s ongoing commitments in recent years. It’s called a structural imbalance and Kentucky’s has been ballooning. (Bluegrass Politics)

Is There a School at Big Bone Lick? Bullitt Lick may change name to get fresh start: Heather Terrell said there is no reason to be ashamed to say that you attended Bullitt Lick Middle School over the past 33 years. But, if the school’s name is changed, she said it is a slap at the institution that has educated many fine students over the past four decades. (Pioneer News)

Chandlers school remembers the past through art: A new mural at Chandler’s Elementary School depicts the history of the Chandler’s community. The mural was painted by artist Lori James. Students at Chandlers Elementary School now have a new way to learn about their community’s history. All they have to do is look at a new mural on the wall just outside the school office. (News Democrat & Leader)

Ohio County School District under state scrutiny: The director of the state’s Office of Education Accountability confirmed Wednesday that the office has an ongoing investigation in Ohio County. “We do have an issue we are looking at in the district,” Marcia Seiler said. She provided no details. The investigation comes less than a month after the board’s chairman, Barry Geary, met with Superintendent Soretta Ralph on May 12 and made an offer on behalf of the board to buy her required number of years of service for retirement. Ralph does not wish to retire. (Messenger-Inquirer)