UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 994
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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION directing the Legislative Research Commission 1
to establish the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force. 2
WHEREAS, Section 183 of the Constitution of Kentucky provides that the General 3
Assembly shall provide for an efficient system of common schools throughout the State; 4
and 5
WHEREAS, the General Assembly has placed high priority in ensuring students 6
achieve at high levels; and 7
WHEREAS, the General Assembly has the responsibility of ensuring that the state's 8
governance models and currently established school districts are not hindering student 9
achievement; and 10
WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes that many schools in the 11
Commonwealth have unacceptable proficiency rates in reading, writing, and 12
mathematics, especially in school districts with an enrollment greater than 75,000 13
students in elementary, middle, and high school; and 14
WHEREAS, parents of students, including taxpayers, expect school districts to 15
ensure that local policies abide by state policies and statutes; and 16
WHEREAS, revenues and expenditures of school districts are optimized to 17
minimize per pupil cost and maximize the highest graduation rates so that students will 18
have the greatest opportunity to enter the workforce or obtain higher level of degrees; and 19
WHEREAS, the General Assembly, in fulfillment of its obligations, wishes to 20
assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the various types of schools within Kentucky's 21
largest county school districts with student enrollment greater than 75,000 in which 22
parents may enroll their children; and 23
WHEREAS, the General Assembly seeks expert opinions and research from 24
education-focused institutions such as the Pritchard Committee, the Council on 25
Postsecondary Education, national educational research organizations, and any other 26
organization that can provide relevant and pertinent information that pertains to school 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 994
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governance structures; 1
NOW, THEREFORE, 2
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 3
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 4
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission is hereby directed to establish 5
the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force to: 6
(1) Review current district governance and administration models of Kentucky's largest 7
county school districts with student enrollment greater than 75,000 and compare the 8
governance and operational structures to school districts in other states with similar 9
size and demographic composition; 10
(2) Review publications, reports, and analyses of school governance relating to district 11
size, the efficiency of districts, and the effects of size on student outcomes, 12
including but not limited to a report from the Office of Education Accountability on 13
school district effectiveness that was approved in the office's 2024 research agenda 14
and previous Kentucky Department of Education management reports; 15
(3) Hear testimony from statewide education entities with experience in research on 16
and expertise in education organizational structures, policies, and governance; 17
(4) Hear testimony from parents, teachers, school administrators, and members of 18
school councils and local boards of districts with an enrollment greater than 75,000 19
on the strengths and weaknesses of existing governing structures and possible 20
alternatives; 21
(5) Review relevant past performance audits, correction plans, and other analyses of 22
school districts with enrollment greater than 75,000; 23
(6) Review how other states have implemented the creation of new school districts and 24
the benefits and challenges of those new districts; 25
(7) Assess the need for additional school districts within a county with a county school 26
district with enrollment greater than 75,000; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 994
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(8) Explore options for the creation of new school districts from school districts with an 1
enrollment of over 75,000 and the potential impact on: 2
(a) Federal, state, and local funding; 3
(b) School taxes and taxing authority; 4
(c) District boundaries and student enrollment; 5
(d) Continuation of student services; 6
(e) District real property and facilities; 7
(f) District bonding liability; 8
(g) District property; 9
(h) Racial makeup; 10
(i) Transportation; 11
(j) Governance; 12
(k) Interscholastic athletics; 13
(l) Assessment and accountability; 14
(m) Personnel and tenure; 15
(n) Transition and startup timelines; 16
(o) Implementation costs; 17
(p) Compliance with federal law; and 18
(q) Any other issue; 19
(9) Assess the current cost-benefit analysis as it relates to the yearly per pupil costs of 20
providing education in school district with an enrollment greater than 75,000; 21
(10) Evaluate the current impact and future impact due to any governance changes of 22
school districts that are surrounded by school districts with an enrollment greater 23
than 75,000; 24
(11) Examine any other investigative initiative that is relevant and pertinent data and 25
information; and 26
(12) Develop and submit any recommendations and changes the task force may adopt 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 994
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relating to the school districts with enrollment greater than 75,000 and their 1
governance and administration and how to better ensure the efficient and effective 2
organization of the Commonwealth's school districts to the Legislative Research 3
Commission by December 1, 2024. 4
Section 2. The Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force 5
shall be composed of the following members, with final membership of the task force 6
being subject to the consideration and approval of the Legislative Research Commission: 7
(1) Two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of 8
the House, one of whom shall be designated to serve as co-chair; 9
(2) Two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of 10
whom shall be designated to serve as co-chair; 11
(3) One member of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Minority Floor 12
Leader of the House; 13
(4) One member of the Senate to be appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the 14
Senate; 15
(5) The State Auditor or designee; 16
(6) To be appointed by the Legislative Research Commission to ensure broad political 17
and geographical representation within any school district with an enrollment 18
greater than 75,000 and ensure that such appointments reflect the racial minority 19
and gender composition of the school districts based upon the most recent data from 20
the United States Census Bureau: 21
(a) Two members who are taxpayers living in a school district with an enrollment 22
greater than 75,000, who are not current employees of the school district, have 23
competency and experience or knowledge in the field of education, and have 24
children that are currently attending or recently graduated within the past five 25
years from the school district; 26
(b) Two members with the experience in finance, management, and operations of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 994
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large businesses that operate in the Commonwealth; and 1
(c) One member who is a certified teacher currently employed as a classroom 2
teacher in a school district with enrollment greater than 75,000 who has at 3
least five years of experience working in the district; and 4
(7) The mayor or designee from the largest city located in districts with a student 5
enrollment greater than 75,000. 6
Section 3. The Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force 7
shall meet at least twice per month. The Legislative Research Commission shall assign 8
staff from the Commission or the Office of Education Accountability as necessary to 9
assist the task force to conduct its business. The Commission may also enter into 10
contracts with consultants to assist the task force in its duties. 11
Section 4. Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the 12
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 13
issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to 14
designate a study completion date. 15