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SB1 • 2026
AN ACT relating to education.
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
AN ACT relating to education.
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
House Floor Amendment 1 • T. Bojanowski
Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 1/GA Amendment No.
House Floor Amendment 2 • J. Nemes
Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 1/GA Amendment No.
House Floor Amendment 3 • J. Nemes
Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 1/GA Amendment No.
received in Senate to Rules (S) posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 31-7 received in House to Rules (H) taken from Rules (H) posted for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 79-20 enrolled, signed by President of the Senate enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 153)
Vetoed
3rd reading, passed 75-19 with Floor Amendment (2) received in Senate to Rules (S) posted for passage for concurrence in House Floor Amendment (2) Senate concurred in Floor Amendment (2) passed 29-8 enrolled, signed by President of the Senate enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House delivered to Governor
floor amendment (3) filed
reported favorably, to Rules taken from Rules placed in the Orders of the Day floor amendment (2) filed
floor amendment (1) filed to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
taken from Committee on Committees (H) 2nd reading returned to Committee on Committees (H)
taken from Committee on Committees (H) 1st reading returned to Committee on Committees (H)
received in House to Committee on Committees (H) to Committee on Committees (H)
3rd reading, passed 29-7
2nd reading, to Rules posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 02 2026
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
to Education (S)
introduced in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
AN ACT relating to education.
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 1 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden AN ACT relating to education. 1 WHEREAS, the Commonwealth has a compelling interest in ensuring that all 2 students receive access to safe, reliable, and effective public education systems that meet 3 student needs, protect student well-being, and responsibly steward public funds; and 4 WHEREAS, certain school districts within the Commonwealth operate at a scale 5 and level of complexity tha t is fundamentally different from the operational, governance, 6 and management demands faced by other local school districts; and 7 WHEREAS, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) serves approximately 95,000 8 students across 168 schools, educates students spea king more than 139 languages, and 9 employs thousands of instructional and noninstructional staff, creating a large and 10 complex public educational system unlike any other district in Kentucky; and 11 WHEREAS, JCPS operates one of the largest public -sector budge ts in the 12 Commonwealth, managing an annual district budget of approximately $1,900,000,000, 13 which constitutes the largest public school district budget in Kentucky, exceeds the 14 operating budget of Louisville Metro Government, is more than twice the size of the 15 Commonwealth’s second -largest public school district budget, and is nearly six times 16 larger than the next -largest district, thereby magnifying the statewide fiscal risk 17 associated with governance, management, and financial decision -making within the 18 district; and 19 WHEREAS, JCPS operates a daily student transportation system serving 20 approximately 60,000 riders, an operational footprint exceeding the total population of 21 most Kentucky counties and requiring sophisticated logistical planning, real -time 22 coordination, and cross -departmental management comparable to a municipal transit 23 system rather than a typical school district; and 24 WHEREAS, JCPS employs a districtwide student assignment and choice model 25 involving magnet programs, specialized academic pathway s, and cross -attendance-zone 26 enrollment that materially increases routing complexity, operational risk, and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 2 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden coordination demands beyond those faced by other Kentucky school districts; and 1 WHEREAS, repeated transportation failures within JCPS have resulted in students, 2 particularly those attending magnet and choice schools, arriving home late into the 3 evening hours, missing instructional time, and in some cases being unable to attend 4 school at all, demonstrating systemic breakdowns in planning, execution, an d executive 5 accountability that directly undermine student safety, attendance, and educational access; 6 and 7 WHEREAS, JCPS serves a student population with elevated needs, including 8 higher concentrations of students living in poverty, students requiring special education 9 services, English language learners, and students impacted by trauma, behavioral 10 challenges, and chronic absenteeism, all of which necessitate integrated academic, 11 transportation, safety, and support systems; and 12 WHEREAS, JCPS elementary, middle, and high schools overall earned a 13 performance rating in the "orange" category for the 2024 -2025 school year, the second -14 lowest tier in the state’s accountability system, reflecting persistent and systemwide 15 academic underperformance relative to statewide expectations; and 16 WHEREAS, JCPS state assessment results show that proficiency rates in reading 17 remain unacceptably low across grade levels, with approximately 24 percent of 18 elementary students, 22 percent of middle school students, and 23 percent of high school 19 students achieving proficiency in reading, demonstrating long -standing deficiencies in 20 literacy outcomes; and 21 WHEREAS, JCPS assessment data further indicates persistently low proficiency in 22 mathematics, with approximately 23 percent of elementary students, 20 percent of middle 23 school students, and 19 percent of high school students scoring at the pro ficient level, 24 underscoring chronic challenges in foundational numeracy essential to postsecondary 25 readiness and workforce participation; and 26 WHEREAS, JCPS continues to experience significant and persistent deficiencies in 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 3 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden literacy outcomes, especially in reading achievement among middle and high school 1 students, which district leadership has publicly acknowledged cannot be addressed 2 without sustained, systemwide intervention; and 3 WHEREAS, the number of JCPS schools identified for Comprehensive Support 4 and Improvement (CSI) status increased from 34 schools in 2022 to 41 schools in 2025, 5 demonstrating a growing concentration of the Commonwealth’s lowest -performing 6 schools within a single district and accounting for approximately 77 percent of all CSI -7 designated schools statewide; and 8 WHEREAS, JCPS continues to experience wide achievement gaps and inconsistent 9 academic proficiency across schools, with district leadership publicly acknowledging that 10 graduation and postsecondary readiness metrics mask persistent failures to ensure 11 mastery of core academic subjects; and 12 WHEREAS, JCPS assessment reporting over the past decade reflects only 13 incremental academic gains in reading, math, and science, with periods of stagnation that 14 indicate structural limitations in the district’s ability to drive sustained improvement at 15 scale; and 16 WHEREAS, statewide and local reporting further demonstrate that chronic 17 absenteeism within JCPS approaches one-third of enrolled students, a rate that materially 18 undermines learning, exacerba tes achievement gaps, and reflects systemic failures in 19 attendance, transportation reliability, and student engagement; and 20 WHEREAS, public reporting and district documentation reflect ongoing safety 21 concerns within JCPS, including weapons incidents and th e deployment of districtwide 22 security technologies, requiring rapid operational decision -making and consistent 23 systemwide execution to protect students and staff; and 24 WHEREAS, JCPS manages a nearly $2,000,000,000 complex public system and 25 has publicly repo rted significant budget deficits and ongoing fiscal pressures, creating 26 heightened statewide risk exposure due to the district’s size and its large share of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 4 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden Kentucky’s total public school enrollment; and 1 WHEREAS, JCPS has publicly disclosed a substantial a nd growing budget 2 shortfall, driven in part by undisciplined spending practices, reliance on temporary 3 federal funds, and delayed corrective action, creating significant fiscal risk to a district 4 heavily supported by statewide taxpayer dollars and highligh ting the inability of existing 5 governance structures to ensure timely financial oversight and corrective management; 6 and 7 WHEREAS, JCPS’ senior financial leadership has publicly acknowledged 8 substantive financial and operational deficiencies within the dist rict, including 9 undisciplined budgeting practices enabled by temporary federal relief funds, materially 10 flawed deficit projections, looming cash -flow insolvency risks, constrained revenue 11 growth that fails to keep pace with inflation, and internal decision-making that limited the 12 disclosure of pertinent financial data, collectively demonstrating systemic weaknesses in 13 fiscal management, transparency, and long-term financial planning; and 14 WHEREAS, independent audits and public analyses of JCPS transportation 15 operations have identified failures that are systemic rather than isolated, involving 16 breakdowns in coordination among central office leadership, transportation planning, 17 human resources, and operational decision-making; and 18 WHEREAS, such audits and repor ting indicate that diffuse authority and unclear 19 executive accountability materially contributed to service delivery failures affecting 20 student safety, attendance, and public confidence in the district; and 21 WHEREAS, in 2018, concerns regarding JCPS governa nce and management 22 capacity resulted in a corrective action plan and settlement with state education 23 authorities to avert a full state takeover, demonstrating longstanding and unresolved 24 statewide concern regarding the district’s ability to address its cha llenges under existing 25 governance structures; and 26 WHEREAS, recurring operational crises, including transportation failures, safety 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 5 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden incidents, fiscal instability, and persistent academic underperformance, reflect not merely 1 programmatic shortcomings but str uctural governance deficiencies that impede timely, 2 coordinated executive action; and 3 WHEREAS, districts operating at such a large scale and high level of complexity 4 require governance structures that clearly distinguish between strategic oversight, policy -5 setting, and accountability on one hand, and day -to-day operational management and 6 execution on the other; and 7 WHEREAS, large districts need clear operational authority and responsibility in a 8 single chief executive officer, subject to defined reporting r equirements, performance 9 metrics, and board oversight, to create clearer accountability, faster decision -making, and 10 more effective systemwide coordination; and 11 WHEREAS, restructuring board responsibilities to emphasize strategic planning, 12 fiscal oversight , monitoring of academic and operational outcomes, and evaluation of 13 executive performance aligns governance practices with those required to manage 14 complex public institutions responsibly; and 15 WHEREAS, the governance structure established in subsection (2 ) of Section 1 of 16 this Act is intended to serve as a targeted and proportionate alternative to state takeover, 17 preserving local control while addressing structural deficiencies that have repeatedly 18 resulted in systemwide failures; and 19 WHEREAS, JCPS operates at a scale that is not merely larger, but qualitatively and 20 quantitatively distinct from every other public school district in the Commonwealth, such 21 that differences between JCPS and other districts are not incremental but exponential in 22 student population, workforce size, operational scope, and fiscal exposure; and 23 WHEREAS, the gap between JCPS and the second -largest school district in 24 Kentucky is itself greater than the gap between all remaining districts statewide, such that 25 JCPS constitutes a natural and objectively identifiable class based on scale, complexity, 26 and statewide impact; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 6 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden WHEREAS, districts of this magnitude present governance, operational, and fiscal 1 challenges that are categorically different from those faced by small and mid -sized 2 districts, and uniform governance structures designed for substantially smaller systems 3 cannot reasonably be expected to perform effectively at this scale; and 4 WHEREAS, the concentration of academic, operational, transportation, safety, 5 fiscal, and labor -management functions within a single district of this size requires 6 continuous, coordinated executive decision -making that cannot be achieved when 7 strategic oversight and day-to-day administration are commingled; and 8 WHEREAS, governance structures which requ ire boards of education to 9 simultaneously function as legislative bodies, executive managers, and operational 10 supervisors become increasingly ineffective and unworkable as district scale and 11 complexity increase; and 12 WHEREAS, repeated systemwide failures wi thin JCPS demonstrate that existing 13 governance structures are not merely underperforming, but structurally mismatched to the 14 operational demands placed upon the district; and 15 WHEREAS, when operational failures deprive students of reliable transportation 16 and instructional access while fiscal mismanagement threatens the solvency of the state’s 17 largest school district, such failures cannot reasonably be attributed to isolated errors but 18 instead reflect structural deficiencies in governance, executive authority , and 19 accountability that demand corrective action; and 20 WHEREAS, Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution imposes upon the General 21 Assembly an affirmative duty to provide for an efficient system of common schools 22 throughout the Commonwealth, and that duty necessarily includes ensuring that 23 governance structures are capable of delivering educational services effectively at the 24 scale at which they are required to operate; and 25 WHEREAS, efficiency within the meaning of Section 183 encompasses not only 26 academic outcomes, but also fiscal stewardship, student safety, transportation reliability, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 7 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden workforce management, and the capacity for timely executive decision-making; and 1 WHEREAS, in districts operating at significant scale and complexity, effective 2 governance requires a clear separation between strategic oversight and operational 3 execution, such that boards of education are focused on policy, long -term planning, fiscal 4 oversight, and performance accountability; and 5 WHEREAS, vesting day -to-day operational authority in a single chief executive 6 officer, subject to defined performance metrics and board oversight, promotes clarity of 7 responsibility, accelerates decision -making, and stre ngthens accountability for results; 8 and 9 WHEREAS, this governance structure aligns with best practices used to manage 10 large public institutions and is reasonably tailored to address the unique challenges 11 presented by districts of this size, while preserving local control and democratic 12 accountability; and 13 WHEREAS, the distinctive characteristics of JCPS, when considered in 14 combination, provide a rational, substantial, and constitutionally sufficient basis for 15 differentiated governance treatment, and such tre atment is reasonably related to the 16 General Assembly's duty to ensure an efficient system of common schools; and 17 WHEREAS, JCPS is supported in substantial part by state education dollars 18 contributed by taxpayers throughout the Commonwealth, and the scale o f this investment 19 creates a legitimate and compelling statewide interest in ensuring that the district is 20 governed and managed in a manner that maximizes educational outcomes, protects public 21 funds, and fulfills constitutional obligations to all Kentucky students; and 22 WHEREAS, school districts meeting defined objective criteria of certain scale, 23 operational complexity, and statewide impact may be subject to alternative governance 24 structures; and 25 WHEREAS, such governance structures are reasonably and natural ly related to the 26 distinctive challenges faced by these districts; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 8 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden WHEREAS, the purpose of subsection (2) of Section 1 of this Act is to improve 1 student outcomes, safeguard student wellbeing, ensure public safety, restore public 2 confidence, and strengthen fiscal stewardship through enhanced executive accountability 3 and strategic board oversight; 4 NOW, THEREFORE, 5 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 6 Section 1. KRS 160.370 is repealed, reenacted, and amended to read as follows: 7 (1) The superintendent shall be the executive agent of the board that appoints him or 8 her and shall meet with the board, except when his or her own tenure, salary, or the 9 administration of his or her office is under consideration. As executive officer of the 10 board, the superintendent shall see that the laws relating to the schools, the bylaws, 11 rules, and regulations of the Kentucky Board of Education, and the regulations and 12 policies of the district board of education are carried into effect. He or she may 13 administer the oath required by the board of education to any teacher or other 14 person. He or she shall be the professional adviser of the board in all matters. He or 15 she shall prepare, under the direction of the board, all rules, regulations, bylaws, 16 and statements of policy for approval and adoption by the board. He or she shall 17 have general supervision, subject to the control of the board of education, of the 18 general conduct of the sc hools, the course of instruction, the discipline of pupils, 19 and the management of business affairs. He or she shall be responsible for the 20 hiring and dismissal of all personnel in the district. 21 (2) For a county school district in a county with a consolidat ed local government 22 adopted under KRS Chapter 67C or having five hundred thousand (500,000) or 23 more inhabitants: 24 (a) A local board of education shall: 25 1. Delegate authority to the superintendent over the district's day -to-day 26 operations and implementation of the board-approved strategic plan and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 9 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden budget in a manner that promotes the efficient, timely operation of the 1 district, including but not limited to the authority over contracts related 2 to daily operations of the district, pupil transportation, personne l 3 matters, and the organizational structure of administrative staff; 4 2. [Except as expressly required by statute, including subparagraphs 3. and 5 5. of this paragraph, not meet more than once every four (4) weeks for 6 the purpose of approving necessary administrative matters; 7 3. ]By December 1 each year, approve a rolling five (5) [three (3)] year 8 strategic plan for the district that outlines student outcome[achievement] 9 goals, faculty and staff improvement goals, facility and infrastructure 10 improvement, and other key objectives that the superintendent and board 11 believe are in the best interest of student outcomes and the community; 12 3. Review and approve a rolling three (3) year projection of expenses and 13 revenues; 14 4. Approve an annual budget for the district, which shall include any 15 budgetary decisions relevant to the district's ability to obtain necessary 16 revenue, including tax revenue, in accordance with the requirements of 17 state law and regulation; 18 5. By December[November] 1 each year, oversee: 19 a. An annua l audit of the financial dealings of the district and the 20 reporting of key financial performance data in order to ensure fair 21 and accurate reporting to the board; and 22 b. An annual review of student performance in the district and the 23 reporting of key stude nt performance data to ensure compliance 24 with state and federal law and accurate reporting to the board; 25 6. Recruit and hire the superintendent and negotiate the terms of 26 employment and compensation of a prospective superintendent; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 10 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden 7. Complete an annual re view of the superintendent's performance with 1 regard to the duties assigned in subsection (1) of this section and 2 paragraph (b) of this subsection; and 3 8. Be responsible for the dismissal of the superintendent; 4 (b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in subsection (1) of this 5 section, the superintendent shall: 6 1. Provide a quarterly, informational report to the board on the 7 administrative actions t aken by the superintendent to carry out the 8 district's daily operations and implementation of the strategic plan as 9 well as a budget to actual financial update; 10 2. Prepare all rules, regulations, bylaws, and statements of policy for 11 approval and adoption by the board, with approval not to be withheld 12 without a two -thirds (2/3) vote of the board to deny approval or 13 adoption; 14 3. Supervise the general conduct of the schools, the course of instruction, 15 the discipline of pupils, the employment matters of all em ployees and 16 contractors, and the management of business affairs of the district; 17 4. Be responsible for the hiring, employment terms, dismissal, and 18 organizational structure of all personnel in the district in compliance 19 with all laws and in a manner that best serves the students of the district; 20 and 21 5. Notwithstanding any law that assigns an administrative duty, 22 responsibility, or authority to a board of education, or other law to the 23 contrary, be responsible for any administrative duty not explicitly 24 granted to the board under paragraph (a) of this subsection;[ and] 25 (c) If the school district [county] adopts the provisions of the Kentucky Model 26 Procurement Code, the board shall authorize the superintendent to approve 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 1/VO Page 11 of 11 SB000190.100 - 1479 - XXXX 4/14/2026 1:52 PM Vetoed and Overridden purchases, in accordance with small purch ase procedures adopted by the 1 board, for any contract for which a determination is made that the aggregate 2 amount of the contract does not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars 3 ($250,000);[.] 4 (d) The board shall authorize the superintendent to approve a line -item transfer 5 within its annual budget as she or he deems necessary, provided that the 6 aggregate amount of all transfers do[any individual transfer does] not exceed 7 two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) per quarter . The 8 superintendent shall provide a quarterly report to the board on any purchases 9 made under this subsection; and 10 (e) Any purchase or transfer completed pursuant to paragraph (c) or (d) of this 11 subsection shall be within the approved budget of the district, aligned to the 12 strategic plan of the district, and reported to the board at the next regularly 13 scheduled board meeting. 14