Just because this year is a short session for the Kentucky General Assembly, doesn’t mean the state’s education leaders aren’t paying attention to the possible changes coming down the pipeline.
During last Thursday’s Trigg County Schools Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Rex Booth offered several topics that will be of interest in Frankfort during the next two months — some of which could bring impacts to local schools.
This includes:
— Any discussions, and triggers, around House Bill 1, where state income tax falls from 4% to 3.5%
— The limiting, and potentially complete dismissal, of Diversity Equity Inclusion practices, especially in higher education
— The possibility of cell phone bans in the classroom
— The contemplation of eliminating PRAXIS testing as a key qualifier for teacher certification
— The accountability of English Language Learners
— And the legality of Delta 8 and Delta 9 beverages, as well as vape sales
Furthermore, Booth said he and many of the state’s administrators are keyed in on the winds of Washington D.C., where several federal changes centered on public education could come under this Donald J. Trump administration.
Among discussions in that stratosphere include:
— The possible reduction of Title I and the removals of Titles II and III, which would cost the district more than $300,000
— The potential addition of universal vouchers for private schools
— A chance for the revision, or rescinding, of Title IX equity
— And the touted altogether abolition of the U.S. Department of Education
School Attorney Jack Lackey brought some clarity on the state’s likely answer to any federal changes of Title IX, pointing out that a Kentucky federal judge struck down changes made to Title IX by the Biden administration, by ruling that the new regulations — which sought to expand nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ students — violate the Constitution.
