Pursuant to KRS 65.944(1)(b), school districts must receive approval from Kentucky's education commissioner before entering into leases that exceed $100,000.
On average the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) annually receives close to 30 leases of more than $100,000 that must be approved. Close to 50% of these leases will be fiber lines that districts use to connect their schools to KDE's internet hub. About 25% will be leases for copiers/printers and 22% will be a financial payment plan to immediately obtain computers and pay for them over a period of years. The remaining 3% is mainly for phone systems or property/land/buildings.
KDE has changed some processes and reduced steps within KDE to speed up the approval process of leases over $100,000.
Districts shall submit leases that exceed $100,000 and a completed Local Board Attorney Certification form to leasesover100K@education.ky.gov.
KDE developed the Local Board Attorney Certification form for use by districts in an effort to expedite the approval process. If the attached form is not submitted, KDE requests that districts include the contact information for their board attorney in the email submitting the lease for approval if the district would like KDE's Office of Legal Services to contact your board attorney directly regarding any necessary changes to the lease.
If the form is not submitted, KDE will reach out to the superintendent from the district that submitted the lease for approval regarding any necessary changes in the lease. The district will need to work directly with the vendor regarding any changes.
The official approval e-mail to your district will come from KDE's Commissioner's Office.