Latest news with #HouseBill241
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With lawmakers' ‘contradiction' on virtual school, Beshear lets calamity days bill become law
Jacob Meyers gathers debris in his flooded yard in Athertonville, Feb. 17, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony) Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear decided to let a bill become law that not only allows Kentucky schools to make up days lost to bad winter weather and floods, but also protects a controversial online school from enrollment caps imposed by state education officials. Beshear allowed House Bill 241 to become law without his signature. The bill's passage in the General Assembly was in doubt for a time after the Senate added a provision to protect the Kentucky Virtual Academy' after the Kentucky Department of Education sought to curb its enrollment due to poor student performance and failure to meet staffing requirements. The bill was introduced to provide relief to Kentucky school districts running out of their 10 NTI days, or non-traditional instruction days, this school year. Even before Kentucky was hit with widespread floods in mid-February, some schools had closed and temporarily moved to virtual instruction due to bad winter weather or sickness. Leading up to the veto period, a free conference committee made up of House and Senate members reached an agreement on the bill that allows public schools to waive five required days and make up for lost instruction by lengthening the school day, while the free conference committee also agreed to 'guardrails' to limit enrollment at the Kentucky Virtual Academy. A governor's office press release said Beshear's action 'is due to the General Assembly's contradiction of their own actions and attitudes toward in-person learning.' In 2021, lawmakers approved legislation ending a mask mandate in K-12 schools and limited school districts to 10 NTI days a school year. 'The General Assembly previously mandated that children return to in-person learning during the pandemic, yet now they are promoting all-virtual learning,' the release said. When Rep. Timmy Truett, R-McKee, originally presented the bill to the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, he said most educators know virtual learning is 'not as good as in-seat instruction.' He is an elementary school principal himself. 'I'm telling you firsthand — it is not,' Truett said. 'It's not, but it does beat the alternative. When you're off school for two weeks because of weather or not going to see your kids for a month because of flooding, a virtual instruction day is so much more valuable than not seeing your kids at all.' Truett also said that he didn't think the Republican-controlled General Assembly would approve a bill that just increased the number of NTI days each school district gets. One committee member, Rep. Felica Rabourn, R-Turners Station, voted against the bill at the time and said she strongly opposed giving more NTI days and would prefer schools 'have zero.' Kentucky school districts are typically allowed no more than 10 NTI days in a school year. However, Senate Republicans argued for their addition which would have blocked state-imposed limits on enrollment at the Kentucky Virtual Academy, which is based out of the Cloverport Independent Schools. They cited testimony from parents of students who are enrolled in the online program. Concerns about the Kentucky Virtual School have been reported by the Louisville Courier Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, which highlighted numerous accusations and lawsuits raised against Stride, a for-profit company that has a contract to run the virtual academy. While it serves students across the state through online instruction, the academy is attached to the district in Breckinridge County.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Laurel County Public Schools, pending HB 241, to extend school days by 15 minutes
Laurel County Public Schools is extending the district's school day for the remainder of the academic calendar to make up for closures and lost instruction time. The district announced Thursday that 15 minutes will be added to remaining school days starting Monday to make up for two days of lost instruction time during the academic year. The district's start time will remain the same, as well as bus times, with a 15 minute adjustment to dismissal and bus pick-ups in the afternoon. Changes to the calendar are possible down the road, the district said. The decision follows anticipation that House Bill 241, which will allow the district to apply the added minutes to make up for lost instructional time, will pass. "We understand these changes may require adjustments to your family's routine, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding," the announcement said. "As always, we are committed to providing a quality education for our students and appreciate your continued support." Laurel County Public Schools Weather, flu, I-75 shooting: Why Kentucky kids have missed so much school this year Laurel County Public Schools was one of the districts along Interstate 75 near London previously forced to close or move to NTI as police officers spent nearly two weeks searching for a gunman who opened fire on travelers from an overpass last September. The manhunt impacted about 10 districts, Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said to The Courier Journal. Reporter Krista Johnson contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Laurel County Public Schools adds 15 minutes to school days
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill giving schools time to make up for lost days gets approval despite changes: Here's what lawmakers added
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Thursday marked an action-packed Kentucky Senate session when a bill that started the day as one thing ended up as something different. Approved by the Senate Education Committee in late February, House Bill 241 would allow districts to extend the school day to avoid going to class into June as a result of snow, flooding, and other unforeseen issues. Ahead of the voting session on Thursday morning, Republican lawmakers reportedly added an unrelated measure that would keep a new online school in Western Kentucky open, leaving one of the bill's original sponsors, Rep. Timmy Truett—an elementary school principal in Jackson County—to fight against his legislature. Bill lowering the age to carry a concealed weapon in Kentucky moves forward Kentucky bill to increase toughness on repeated protection order violators advances in senate Bill giving schools time to make up for lost days gets approval despite changes: Here's what lawmakers added 'This bill started off as a really good bill, but I'm principled enough to know. If I think this is going to go on my bill, that it's going to harm public education; it's going to harm my students. I will speak against my own bill and try my best to kill it.' Despite its last-minute amendment, HB 241 passed the full senate on Thursday afternoon. Next, it will be sent back to the House, which has to approve the changes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Relief for missed school days in doubt after picking up surprise addition in KY Senate
Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, speaks in favor of reversing the state school board's decision to cap enrollment at a controversial virtual school, March 6, 2025. (LRC Public Information) FRANKFORT — A bill that began as relief for Kentucky schools from weather-related closings was transformed by the Senate Thursday into relief for a controversial virtual school. After the Senate overhauled House Bill 241, its sponsor, Rep. Timmy Truett, an elementary school principal, said he would recommend that the House now kill it. The Kentucky Board of Education recently limited enrollment at the Kentucky Virtual School based out of the Cloverport Independent Schools in response to concerns about poor student performance and failure to meet staffing requirements. The bill that emerged from the Republican-controlled Senate Thursday on a 23-14 vote would block the Department of Education from enforcing the enrollment cap on the privately-operated virtual school which has students statewide. Some Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. Supporters of the virtual school attached their provision to a bill described by Senate President Pro Tem David Givens as 'vitally important' for school districts affected by recent flooding. State law requires districts to provide 170 student attendance days. The original bill would allow districts to have five of the required days waived and to lengthen the school day. It also granted them additional days in which students could be taught at home via virtual learning. Some schools in Eastern Kentucky have yet to reopen following floods in mid-February. In a Thursday morning committee meeting, language from Senate Bill 268 was added to the House bill. Truett, R-McKee, told senators it was the first time he had seen the new version of his legislation. 'This bill started off as a really good bill for all the districts in the state of Kentucky, especially the districts in Eastern Kentucky where I live,' Truett said. 'But you can take a good bill and make it bad. And I'm afraid that with the amendment that may be on this bill that I would have to encourage my colleagues to be against this bill.' The move could mean the bill doesn't pass at all this session, Truett warned. Concerns about the Kentucky Virtual School have been reported by the Louisville Courier Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, which highlighted numerous accusations and lawsuits raised against Stride, a for-profit company that has a contract to run the virtual academy. While it serves students across the state through online instruction, the academy is attached to Cloverport Independent Schools in Breckinridge County. According to the media reports, the school has rapidly increased its enrollment over the past two years but state education officials say it has failed to meet staff and testing requirements. The Kentucky Board of Education recently took action to limit enrollment through a new statewide policy. Senators debated not only the contents of the bill, but the legislative process behind it, for more than an hour Thursday afternoon. Democrats futilely attempted to argue the bill was out of order under Senate rules because it had emerged from the committee just hours earlier with significant changes. Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Reggie Thomas, of Lexington, cited the newspapers' reports on the floor and emphasized the legislation is a 'matter of public interest.' 'The public, I feel, does have a right to know about what we're about to do,' Thomas said. Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, who was the original sponsor of the bill revoking the enrollment cap on the virtual school, cited 'emotional testimony' from parents of students enrolled at the academy. 'What I heard from parents made one thing very clear — this decision (to cap enrollment) was made without fully considering the impact on students and families who had built their education around this model. 'To me, that's not right.' Truett heard some of the Senate debate, watching from the side of the chamber. While he was present, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, said that she wasn't happy with Truett's original bill, but was supportive of Reed's bill, and added that her family used Stride's curriculum for homeschooling in the past. 'I'm going to encourage the House sponsor to support this bill, because House Bill 241 didn't change the way that I want to see it change,' she said before voting in favor of the bill. Tichenor had filed four floor amendments to the original version of the bill. Truett quickly left after the vote. Givens said he was a supporter of the new language and also supports the original provisions for making up school days missed because of weather. 'This door provides relief for those districts,' he said. 'This is vitally important that we do this.' The House must concur with the Senate's version of HB 241. It's not the first time in recent sessions a bill has been drastically changed in one chamber. Last year, the House overhauled Senate Bill 6, which became a bill to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. The measure died at the end of the session because the Senate and House couldn't agree. The Cloverport district's superintendent, Keith Haynes, said in an email to the Kentucky Lantern that while he couldn't speak to the merits of the legislative process, he was supportive of the contents of SB 268 'as it affords us the opportunity to continue operating and improving the Kentucky Virtual Academy, which has provided so many students and families with the kind of school environment that best suits them.' 'Our experience with Stride has been great,' Haynes added. 'They have been highly professional and laser focused on ensuring that KYVA is the kind of school that all involved can be proud of.'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Relief for missed school days in doubt after picking up surprise addition in KY Senate
Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, speaks in favor of reversing the state school board's decision to cap enrollment at a controversial virtual school, March 6, 2025. (LRC Public Information) FRANKFORT — A bill that began as relief for Kentucky schools from weather-related closings was transformed by the Senate Thursday into relief for a controversial virtual school. After the Senate overhauled House Bill 241, its sponsor, Rep. Timmy Truett, an elementary school principal, said he would recommend that the House now kill it. The Kentucky Board of Education recently limited enrollment at the Kentucky Virtual School based out of the Cloverport Independent Schools in response to concerns about poor student performance and failure to meet staffing requirements. The bill that emerged from the Republican-controlled Senate Thursday on a 23-14 vote would block the Department of Education from enforcing the enrollment cap on the privately-operated virtual school which has students statewide. Some Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. Supporters of the virtual school attached their provision to a bill described by Senate President Pro Tem David Givens as 'vitally important' for school districts affected by recent flooding. State law requires districts to provide 170 student attendance days. The original bill would allow districts to have five of the required days waived and to lengthen the school day. It also granted them additional days in which students could be taught at home via virtual learning. Some schools in Eastern Kentucky have yet to reopen following floods in mid-February. In a Thursday morning committee meeting, language from Senate Bill 268 was added to the House bill. Truett, R-McKee, told senators it was the first time he had seen the new version of his legislation. 'This bill started off as a really good bill for all the districts in the state of Kentucky, especially the districts in Eastern Kentucky where I live,' Truett said. 'But you can take a good bill and make it bad. And I'm afraid that with the amendment that may be on this bill that I would have to encourage my colleagues to be against this bill.' The move could mean the bill doesn't pass at all this session, Truett warned. Concerns about the Kentucky Virtual School have been reported by the Louisville Courier Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, which highlighted numerous accusations and lawsuits raised against Stride, a for-profit company that has a contract to run the virtual academy. While it serves students across the state through online instruction, the academy is attached to Cloverport Independent Schools in Breckinridge County. According to the media reports, the school has rapidly increased its enrollment over the past two years but state education officials say it has failed to meet staff and testing requirements. The Kentucky Board of Education recently took action to limit enrollment through a new statewide policy. Senators debated not only the contents of the bill, but the legislative process behind it, for more than an hour Thursday afternoon. Democrats futilely attempted to argue the bill was out of order under Senate rules because it had emerged from the committee just hours earlier with significant changes. Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Reggie Thomas, of Lexington, cited the newspapers' reports on the floor and emphasized the legislation is a 'matter of public interest.' 'The public, I feel, does have a right to know about what we're about to do,' Thomas said. Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, who was the original sponsor of the bill revoking the enrollment cap on the virtual school, cited 'emotional testimony' from parents of students enrolled at the academy. 'What I heard from parents made one thing very clear — this decision (to cap enrollment) was made without fully considering the impact on students and families who had built their education around this model. 'To me, that's not right.' Truett heard some of the Senate debate, watching from the side of the chamber. While he was present, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, said that she wasn't happy with Truett's original bill, but was supportive of Reed's bill, and added that her family used Stride's curriculum for homeschooling in the past. 'I'm going to encourage the House sponsor to support this bill, because House Bill 241 didn't change the way that I want to see it change,' she said before voting in favor of the bill. Tichenor had filed four floor amendments to the original version of the bill. Truett quickly left after the vote. Givens said he was a supporter of the new language and also supports the original provisions for making up school days missed because of weather. 'This door provides relief for those districts,' he said. 'This is vitally important that we do this.' The House must concur with the Senate's version of HB 241. It's not the first time in recent sessions a bill has been drastically changed in one chamber. Last year, the House overhauled Senate Bill 6, which became a bill to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. The measure died at the end of the session because the Senate and House couldn't agree. The Cloverport district's superintendent, Keith Haynes, said in an email to the Kentucky Lantern that while he couldn't speak to the merits of the legislative process, he was supportive of the contents of SB 268 'as it affords us the opportunity to continue operating and improving the Kentucky Virtual Academy, which has provided so many students and families with the kind of school environment that best suits them.' 'Our experience with Stride has been great,' Haynes added. 'They have been highly professional and laser focused on ensuring that KYVA is the kind of school that all involved can be proud of.'
