“It is clear that opening a charter school in Kentucky is a priority of the General Assembly. However, in spite of Kentucky actually having a charter school law on the books since 2017, none exist in the state largely because the law does not provide stable funding for charter schools. While the funding solution put forth in this year’s bill attempts to remedy this issue, it also creates new constitutional questions relating to the forced transfer of local school funds that ultimately will have to be resolved by the courts.
“KDE sent a letter to members of the General Assembly on March 23 offering up a variety of recommendations we believe would have made HB 9 better for Kentucky students, including streamlining the application process, prioritizing the most at-risk students and suggestions that would have strengthened the funding model for charters.
“I hope that the General Assembly takes time over the interim to work with education stakeholders on a policy framework that results in better school options for Kentucky’s students.”
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
Kentucky Department of Education
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