(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – At its regular meeting Wednesday and Thursday, the Kentucky Board of Education heard presentations, had in-depth discussions and made decisions on a number of items.
The board agreed to accept Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Noland’s recommendation that the school-based decision making council authority of Holmes Junior/Senior High in the Covington Independent school district and Iroquois Middle in Jefferson County be transferred to the superintendents of the schools’ respective districts. The recommendation stemmed from scholastic audits conducted at both schools.
The board agreed to accept the Statement of Consideration on 703 KAR 5:020, the state regulation governing the formula for determining school accountability. The statement included a number of amendments to the proposed regulation, most of which were technical in nature.
Other action by the board included:
· approval of district facility plans for the Breathitt, Edmonson, Mason and Nicholas County and Jackson Independent school districts
· approval of district facility plan amendments for Ohio County
· approval of 2006-07 local district working budgets
· approval of 2006-07 local district tax rates levied
· final approval of 701 KAR 5:110 and the 2007-12 Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) Master Plan
· approval of a waiver to enable a McCracken County student with a hearing impairment to receive a Commonwealth Diploma without completing a foreign language requirement
· denial of a request from the Anderson County school district to waive a requirement of the placement of school facilities at least 200 feet from high-pressure gas lines
· denial of a request from the Franklin County school district to waive the state’s high school graduation requirements for a former student
· denial of a request from the Graves County school district to waive the minimum enrollment size for facilities construction
The board heard presentations on a variety of items, including:
· mathematics initiatives, including Jefferson County’s GE Foundation College and the state Mathematics Achievement Fund
· dropout prevention and persistence to graduation
· changes to the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) bylaws
· revisions to Kentucky Administrative Regulations relating to special education programs
· the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC) annual report
The board reaffirmed its position on school mascots and symbols by reissuing a 1995 resolution related to those items.
The next meeting of the board will be March 7 at Carter Caves State Resort Park in Grayson. More information about the board is available here.
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