(FRANKFORT, KY) – Members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) began a new series of virtual meetings with a discussion on school district funding, financial reporting and the KBE’s role over budgets and contracts.

KBE Chair Sharon Porter Robinson said the virtual KBE meeting on Jan. 7 was the first in a new initiative by the board to provide additional meeting time focused on enhancing board member learning and discussion. The board will meet monthly in 2026, alternating between virtual meetings for the purpose of conducting working sessions and the typical two-day, in-person meetings in Frankfort for the transaction of business.

Robinson said topics for the first virtual meeting were requested by members to deepen board understanding of financial matters and authority related to the KBE.

Todd Allen, deputy commissioner and general counsel for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), discussed the legal framework for the board’s work, particularly KRS 156.070 (5): “Upon the recommendation of the chief state school officer or his or her designee, the state board shall establish policy or act on all matters related to programs, services, publications, capital construction and facility renovation, equipment, litigation, contracts, budgets, and all other matters which are the administrative responsibility of the Department of Education.”

Allen’s presentation included information on the various sources of school funding in the executive branch budget, including the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding program, the Operations and Support Services (BOSS) budget and the Learning and Results Services (LARS) budget. He also went into how the budgets are crafted under KRS 156.010 and KRS 156.024, where the commissioner of education and KDE provide the state board with budget requests that board members review and approve before sending to the governor for consideration in the executive branch budget submitted to legislators. Once the legislature approves a budget with appropriations to KDE, the Office of State Budget Director provides a more detailed budget by fund source, class and working unit for KDE to follow.

Since the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, the KBE established a policy delegating contracting authority to the commissioner of education and KDE, following various processes, regulations and laws such as the Kentucky Model Procurement Act and review by the legislature’s Government Contract Review Committee. Some of the discussions among board members during the virtual meeting centered on the board’s role in approving and evaluating contracts, of which KDE enters into approximately 400-500 per year.

KDE’s Office of Finance and Operations, led by Associate Commissioner Matt Ross, Division Director Chay Ritter and Policy Advisor Lindsey Swartz, provided details to the board about school district funding and financial reporting to the KBE. Their presentation included information on how KDE administers money to districts from state and federal sources and how local revenue sources impact district budgets. The presentation also included information on the role KDE and KBE play with budget approvals and helping districts with tax calculations and navigating the SEEK funding program, often in conjunction with other state agencies.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled in-person Feb. 4-5. KBE Vice Chair Lu S. Young said the upcoming virtual meetings in March and May will be “highly interactive, very discussion-oriented and steeped in inquiry based on the kinds of questions that (board members) have already posed.”

Recordings of KBE meetings are available on the KDE media portal, and meeting agendas and materials are posted on the KBE Agenda Book.