WILSON INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO SHAKE UP THE KENTUCKY BOARD OF EDUCATION
FRANKFORT, KY. (January 9, 2024) – Today, Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, introduced Senate Bill 8 (SB8), priority legislation which would change the selection of Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) members from a unilateral appointment by the governor to an election by voters across all seven Supreme Court districts.
The governor currently appoints the 14-member board directly.
“It's time we allow the citizens of this state the authority to elect real representatives who have the greatest control over almost half of the state budget,” said Wilson. “Doing so will create a board that truly has the educational best interest of Kentucky kids in mind.”
Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) was implemented by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1990. It is the foundation program for legislative funding for all public education. The Kentucky Educational Reform Act (KERA) was first implemented in the 1990s and is a function of the KBE as outlined in KRS 156.029.
The Kentucky Board of Education’s primary purpose is to develop and adopt policies and administrative regulations, with the advice of the local Superintendents Advisory Council, by which the Department of Education is governed in planning, coordinating, administering, supervising, operating, and evaluating the educational programs, services, and activities within the department.
“Each governor since KERA was implemented over three decades ago has leveraged, and some might say abused, their gubernatorial power with the Kentucky Board of Education, said Wilson. “It’s time we returned the power to the residents of the commonwealth.”
The bill retains the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education and the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet as ex-officio non-voting members. A non-voting teacher and student member will be elected by the board from the state's six congressional districts on a rotating basis from different districts. The public high school student will be a junior at the time of the appointment, and the teacher and student members will serve a one-year term.
Two KBE members will be elected from each of the seven Supreme Court districts across Kentucky, as established in KRS 21A.010. Each board member will serve a four-year term, must be 30 years old, have earned at least an associate's degree, and have been a resident for at least three years.
Board members cannot be members of the General Assembly, hold another elected position, or have a material interest in educational materials production. They also cannot be related to anyone in the department or have previously served on the local school board within the previous four years.
A new power is given to the board includes the ability to, by a vote of at least five other members, remove a member for misconduct, incapacity, or willful neglect. They will be given the right to a full public hearing and require a two-thirds vote to be removed.
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Senator Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, represents the 32nd Senate District, including Logan, Simpson, and Todd Counties and southern Warren County. He serves as the Senate majority whip and, as a Senate majority leadership member, serves on the Legislative Research Commission, the Committee on Committees, and the Rules Committee. Wilson is a member of the Senate Agriculture; Economic Development, Tourism and Labor; Education; Transportation; and Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection committees. He also serves as Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee and Public Pension Oversight Board member. Wilson recently served as a 2022 Interim Early Childhood Education Task Force member.