Group of people sitting around a table having a discussion.

Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher speaks with members of the Local Superintendents Advisory Council. Photo by Joe Ragusa, Kentucky Department of Education, March 31, 2026

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Members of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Local Superintendents Advisory Council (LSAC) recommended approval of amendments to regulations and Kentucky’s minimum specifications on school buses during their meeting on March 31.

As mandated by KRS 156.007, LSAC is charged to “advise the chief state school officer and the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) concerning the development of administrative regulations and education policy.”

Kentucky’s school bus specifications come up for consideration annually and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) gathers a team of professionals in the transportation field to recommend potential changes.

Roger Banks, manager of KDE’s Pupil Transportation Branch, went over many of the recommendations, which he said are mostly cleaning up previous specifications. Some of the proposed changes with the engine and transmission charts were spurred by new requirements from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for diesel engines. New federal recommendations also suggest having two handrails when students enter the bus, which is reflected in the proposed 2027 minimum bus specifications for Kentucky.

Other recommended changes would require school bus signage to turn on with the ignition, so the driver doesn’t need to take extra steps to turn on the lighting of the school bus. Another change would increase the wheelchair lift capacity from 800 pounds to 1,000 pounds.

The proposed changes would apply to new bus purchases only. More details on school bus specifications can be found on KDE’s School Buses webpage.

Guidelines for School Fee Waivers

LSAC recommended approval of amendments to 702 KAR 3:220, guidelines for the waiver of school fees, to clarify that schools or districts that qualify under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Community Eligibility Provision program do not automatically have to waive fees for every student.

Matt Ross, associate commissioner of KDE’s Office of Finance and Operations, said KDE received questions regarding the process districts must have in place to allow for the waiver of school fees for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meal programs. The proposed regulation amendment adds language clarifying that in order to have fees waived, the specific student must be eligible for free or reduced price-lunch even if they attend a school in the Community Eligibility Provision program. The USDA established the Community Eligibility Provision program to help the nation’s highest-poverty schools and districts serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting applications from each household.

Ross said districts still have the option to waive fees for every student if the district’s school board chooses to do so.

LSAC members also recommended approval of amendments to 702 KAR 6:110, a regulation on claim reimbursement for school and community nutrition programs, to remove references to outdated forms and to update the language to accommodate online claim filing.

The recommendations made by LSAC members will be considered by the KBE during its next meeting, scheduled for April 8-9.