Nicholas County Schools in Carlisle, Kentucky, is dealing with a bus driver shortage. Only 12 full-time drivers are covering 13 routes for the 75% of students who ride buses, so some drivers run two routes, and the district's transportation and facilities directors have been filling in as substitutes. Superintendent Dr. John Derek Faulconer apologized in a letter to families for late buses, which he said have caused frustration, and noted that other Kentucky districts face similar shortages. The district is recruiting drivers who earn
9 to
3 an hour, and it offers paid training to help applicants get a commercial driver's license. Interested applicants can apply through the district website.
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has announced two partnerships to help students plan for college and training after high school, timed to GO!vember, the state's annual month-long campaign on the topic. Futuriti, CPE's free college and career exploration platform, has partnered with Level All to give every Kentucky school district a free tool for guiding students through their Individual Learning Plan, grade by grade from 6 through 12. CPE is also moving to make Common App the statewide college application required by House Bill 307, the My Kentucky Future Act, so students can apply to public colleges and universities through one free platform. Throughout GO!vember, CPE and its partners will share resources on careers, applying to college, the FAFSA, scholarships and earning college credit in high school.
Kentucky lawmakers opted the state into a new federal tax credit program that matches contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations, which collect and administer scholarships for K-12 schools, including homeschools. Northern Kentucky schools are beginning to enroll, with Bellevue and Ludlow among the first districts to sign agreements with the Kentucky Education Fund, and the Diocese of Covington choosing a different national partner. Many details remain unclear, and superintendents are waiting for updated federal guidance on which costs will qualify. The Kentucky Education Fund anticipates 100 agreements statewide by Jan. 1, 2027, when SGOs can begin receiving contributions. Families are told that homeschools are considered schools and will qualify, though the process for them is still being developed.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has issued a legal opinion saying it is constitutional to use public county funds to help place school resource officers at private schools. Boone County Attorney Jordan Turner requested the opinion while the county fiscal court considered a proposal to use county money to pay part of those costs, with funds going to the county sheriff's office. The opinion states such aid is allowable because it serves a public purpose and any benefit to private schools is indirect. It comes amid a wider debate over public funding for non-public schools. Boone County officials say the discussion has not been contentious, as it centers on school safety and staffing.
The Kentucky Board of Education approved amendments to the state's accountability system regulation (703 KAR 5:270) at its October 7-8 meeting. The changes follow House Bill 257, passed in the 2026 legislative session, which gives districts more flexibility to set priorities with their communities. Student growth in reading and math on state tests will now be used instead of year-to-year changes in indicators, on-demand writing, editing and mechanics will be removed from the tests, and chronic absenteeism will be added to the accountability system. Testing changes take effect in the 2026-2027 school year, and the new system will be reported in fall 2027. The amended regulation now goes through a review process that includes public comment before it is finalized. KBE Chair Lu S. Young said there are still concerns about the 100-day enrollment rule and chronic absenteeism.
Fayette County Public Schools is asking families and community members for feedback. A family survey is open until Oct. 30, giving parents and guardians a chance to share direct input on their child's school and the district overall, and principals are sending the survey by email. The district has also scheduled three in-person family conversations for this week and next month, each from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For families in the district, these are opportunities to weigh in before the survey closes on Oct. 30.
Louisville Public Media (Kentucky Public Radio) · Mon, Sep 21, 2026
Eight groups have told the Kentucky secretary of state they plan to become scholarship granting organizations under a new federal tax credit, and five of them are designed for private and religious education. Starting Jan. 1, Kentuckians can claim a one-for-one tax credit on up to
,700 in donations to these groups, and scholarships can cover tuition, supplies, tutoring and other educational expenses. One applicant estimates that the income limit of 300% of area median gross income would cover roughly 90% of Kentucky students. Some applicants say they will also help public school students. Some Democrats and rural Republicans argue that public schools serve most Kentucky students and that pulling resources away won't improve them.
The Kentucky Education Fund, a Scholarship Granting Organization, will begin accepting donations on January 1 under House Bill 1, a priority bill in this year's legislature. Donors can receive up to
,700 in tax credits, and the money can go toward expenses from tuition to school supplies. Supporters say the program serves both public and private schools, and Will Hodges of the fund said donors choose where their money goes. Opponents, including Laura Hartke of Ky 120 United AFT, fear it is a back door way to fund private schools with public money. Federal guidance is still pending, expected at the end of this month, and tax credits can be claimed beginning in 2028.
Kentucky has opted into the federal scholarship tax credit from the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. At a Frankfort press conference on Wednesday, Secretary of State Michael Adams signed the IRS documentation and a state regulation setting up procedures for Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). The credit is dollar-for-dollar, up to
,700 per year, for donations to approved SGOs. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status may file SGO declarations in person or by mail, with online filing coming shortly. Kentucky's SGO list goes to the federal government by Jan. 1, 2027, when SGOs can begin receiving qualifying donations. State Rep. Kim Moser urged community leaders, businesses and individuals to form or support SGOs so public and private school students can benefit.
New Kentucky laws affecting public schools take effect Wednesday, July 15, 2026, passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly this year. Senate Bill 101 requires districts to expel middle and high schoolers for at least a year if they injure or try to injure school staff or property, in response to calls from teacher unions. House Bill 7 lets districts install "stop arm cameras" on school buses, with fines of $300 for a first offense and $500 after that. House Bill 4 makes certain grooming behavior by adults in positions of special trust, such as educators, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Senate Bill 2 ties administrator pay increases to classroom teacher raises.
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