UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 1 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to public school students' communication skills. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 156.160 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) With the advice of the Local Superintendents Advisory Council, the Kentucky 4
Board of Education shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing 5
standards which school districts shall meet in student, program, service, and 6
operational performance. These regulations shall comply with the expected 7
outcomes for students and schools set forth in KRS 158.6451. Administrative 8
regulations shall be promulgated for the following: 9
(a) Courses of study for the different grades and kinds of common schools 10
identifying the common curriculum content directly tied to the goals, 11
outcomes, and assessment strategies developed under KRS 158.645, 12
158.6451, and 158.6453 and distributed to local school districts and schools. 13
The administrative regulations shall provide that: 14
1. If a school offers American sign language, the course shall be accepted 15
as meeting the foreign language requirements in common schools 16
notwithstanding other provisions of law; 17
2. If a school offers the Reserve Officers Training Corps program, the 18
course shall be accepted as meeting the physical education requirement 19
for high school graduation notwithstanding other provisions of law;[ 20
and] 21
3. Every public middle and high school's curriculum shall include 22
instruction on the Holocaust and other cases of genocide, as defined by 23
the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the 24
Crime of Genocide, that a court of competent jurisdiction, whether a 25
court in the United States or the International Court of Justice, has 26
determined to have been committed by applying rigorous standards of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 2 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
due process; and 1
4. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, cursive writing shall be 2
included as a course of study in all elementary schools and shall be 3
designed to ensure proficiency in cursive writing by the end of grade 4
five (5); 5
(b) Courses of study or educational experiences available to students in all middle 6
and high schools to fulfill the prerequisites for courses in advanced science 7
and mathematics as defined in KRS 158.845; 8
(c) The acquisition and use of educational equipment for the schools as 9
recommended by the Council for Education Technology; 10
(d) The minimum requirements for high school graduation in light of the 11
expected outcomes for students and schools set forth in KRS 158.6451. The 12
minimum requirements shall not include achieving any postsecondary 13
readiness indicator as described in KRS 158.6455 or any minimum score on a 14
statewide assessment administered under KRS 158.6453. Student scores from 15
any assessment administered under KRS 158.6453 that are determined by the 16
department's technical advisory committee to be valid and reliable at the 17
individual level shall be included on the student transcript. The department's 18
technical advisory committee shall submit its determination to the 19
commissioner of education and the Legislative Research Commission; 20
(e) The requirements for an alternative high school diploma for students with 21
disabilities whose individualized education program indicates that, in 22
accordance with 20 U.S.C. sec. 1414(d)(1)(A): 23
1. The student cannot participate in the regular statewide assessment; and 24
2. An appropriate alternate assessment has been selected for the student 25
based upon a modified curriculum and an individualized course of 26
study; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 3 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
(f) Taking and keeping a school census, and the forms, blanks, and software to be 1
used in taking and keeping the census and in compiling the required reports. 2
The board shall create a statewide student identification numbering system 3
based on students' Social Security numbers. The system shall provide a 4
student identification number similar to, but distinct from, the Social Security 5
number, for each student who does not have a Social Security number or 6
whose parents or guardians choose not to disclose the Social Security number 7
for the student; 8
(g) Sanitary and protective construction of public school buildings, toilets, 9
physical equipment of school grounds, school buildings, and classrooms. With 10
respect to physical standards of sanitary and protective construction for school 11
buildings, the Kentucky Board of Education shall adopt the Uniform State 12
Building Code; 13
(h) Medical inspection, physical and health education and recreation, and other 14
regulations necessary or advisable for the protection of the physical welfare 15
and safety of the public school children. The administrative regulations shall 16
set requirements for student health standards to be met by all students in 17
grades four (4), eight (8), and twelve (12) pursuant to the outcomes described 18
in KRS 158.6451. The administrative regulations shall permit a student who 19
received a physical examination no more than six (6) months prior to his or 20
her initial admission to Head Start to substitute that physical examination for 21
the physical examination required by the Kentucky Board of Education of all 22
students upon initial admission to the public schools, if the physical 23
examination given in the Head Start program meets all the requirements of the 24
physical examinations prescribed by the Kentucky Board of Education; 25
(i) A vision examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist that shall be 26
required by the Kentucky Board of Education. The administrative regulations 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 4 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
shall require evidence that a vision examination that meets the criteria 1
prescribed by the Kentucky Board of Education has been performed. This 2
evidence shall be submitted to the school no later than January 1 of the first 3
year that a three (3), four (4), five (5), or six (6) year-old child is enrolled in a 4
public school, public preschool, or Head Start program; 5
(j) 1. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a dental screening or 6
examination by a dentist, dental hygienist, physician, registered nurse, 7
advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant that shall be 8
required by the Kentucky Board of Education. The administrative 9
regulations shall require evidence that a dental screening or examination 10
that meets the criteria prescribed by the Kentucky Board of Education 11
has been performed. This evidence shall be submitted to the school no 12
later than January 1 of the first year that a five (5) or six (6) year-old 13
child is enrolled in a public school. 14
2. A child shall be referred to a licensed dentist if a dental screening or 15
examination performed by anyone other than a licensed dentist identifies 16
the possibility of dental disease; 17
(k) The transportation of children to and from school; 18
(l) The fixing of holidays on which schools may be closed and special days to be 19
observed, and the pay of teachers during absence because of sickness or 20
quarantine or when the schools are closed because of quarantine; 21
(m) The preparation of budgets and salary schedules for the several school 22
districts under the management and control of the Kentucky Board of 23
Education; 24
(n) A uniform series of forms and blanks, educational and financial, including 25
forms of contracts, for use in the several school districts; 26
(o) The disposal of real and personal property owned by local boards of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 5 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
education; and 1
(p) The development and implementation of procedures, for all students who are 2
homeless children and youths as defined in 42 U.S.C. sec. 11434a(2), to do 3
the following: 4
1. Awarding and accepting of credit, including partial credit, for all 5
coursework satisfactorily completed by a student while enrolled at 6
another school; 7
2. Allowing a student who was previously enrolled in a course required for 8
graduation the opportunity, to the extent practicable, to complete the 9
course, at no cost to the student, before the beginning of the next school 10
year; 11
3. Awarding a diploma, at the student's request, by a district from which 12
the student transferred, if the student transfers schools at any time after 13
the completion of the student's second year of high school and the 14
student is ineligible to graduate from the district to which the student 15
transfers, but meets the graduation requirements of the district from 16
which the student transferred; and 17
4. Exempting the student from all coursework and other requirements 18
imposed by the local board of education that are in addition to the 19
minimum requirements for high school graduation established by the 20
Kentucky Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (d) of this 21
subsection in the district to which the student transfers, if the student 22
transfers schools at any time after the completion of the student's second 23
year of high school and the student is ineligible to graduate both from 24
the district to which the student transfers and the district from which the 25
student transferred. 26
(2) (a) At the request of a local board of education or a school council, a local school 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 6 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
district superintendent shall request that the Kentucky Board of Education 1
waive any administrative regulation promulgated by that board. Beginning in 2
the 1996-97 school year, a request for waiver of any administrative regulation 3
shall be submitted to the Kentucky Board of Education in writing with 4
appropriate justification for the waiver. The Kentucky Board of Education 5
may approve the request when the school district or school has demonstrated 6
circumstances that may include but are not limited to the following: 7
1. An alternative approach will achieve the same result required by the 8
administrative regulation; 9
2. Implementation of the administrative regulation will cause a hardship on 10
the school district or school or jeopardize the continuation or 11
development of programs; or 12
3. There is a finding of good cause for the waiver. 13
(b) The following shall not be subject to waiver: 14
1. Administrative regulations relating to health and safety; 15
2. Administrative regulations relating to civil rights; 16
3. Administrative regulations required by federal law; and 17
4. Administrative regulations promulgated in accordance with KRS 18
158.6451, 158.6453, 158.6455, and this section, relating to measurement 19
of performance outcomes and determination of successful districts or 20
schools, except upon issues relating to the grade configuration of 21
schools. 22
(c) Any waiver granted under this subsection shall be subject to revocation upon 23
a determination by the Kentucky Board of Education that the school district or 24
school holding the waiver has subsequently failed to meet the intent of the 25
waiver. 26
(3) Any private, parochial, or church school may voluntarily comply with curriculum, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 7 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
certification, and textbook standards established by the Kentucky Board of 1
Education and be certified upon application to the board by such schools. 2
(4) Any public school that violates the provisions of KRS 158.854 shall be subject to a 3
penalty to be assessed by the commissioner of education as follows: 4
(a) The first violation shall result in a fine of no less than one (1) week's revenue 5
from the sale of the competitive food; 6
(b) Subsequent violations shall result in a fine of no less than one (1) month's 7
revenue from the sale of the competitive food; 8
(c) "Habitual violations," which means five (5) or more violations within a six (6) 9
month period, shall result in a six (6) month ban on competitive food sales for 10
the violating school; and 11
(d) Revenue collected as a result of the fines in this subsection shall be 12
transferred to the food service fund of the local school district. 13
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 158 IS CREATED TO 14
READ AS FOLLOWS: 15
(1) Beginning on with the 2024-2025 school year, successful demonstration of a 16
student's ability to sign his or her own name in cursive shall be a Kentucky public 17
high school graduation requirement. The graduation requirement shall also 18
apply to a student pursuing an early graduation program, as established in KRS 19
158.142. 20
(2) Provisions of this section shall be subject to the requirements and 21
accommodations of a student's individualized education program as defined in 22
KRS 158.281 or a Section 504 Plan as defined in KRS 156.027. 23
(3) The Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate administrative regulations in 24
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to administer this section that include a 25
procedure for a student who is physically unable to demonstrate the ability to sign 26
his or her own name in cursive to secure a waiver to the requirements of this 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1919
Page 8 of 8
XXXX 2/1/2024 6:32 PM Jacketed
section. 1
SECTION 3. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 158 IS CREATED TO 2
READ AS FOLLOWS: 3
(1) Each public high school shall offer a course in typing and cursive writing. The 4
course shall be designed to ensure proficiency in typing and cursive writing by 5
the end of the course term. 6
(2) The Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate administrative regulations in 7
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to establish academic standards for a high 8
school course in typing and cursive writing. 9
(3) The local superintendent shall determine curricula for a high school course 10
offering in typing and cursive writing that is aligned with the typing and cursive 11
writing academic standards promulgated by the Kentucky Board of Education. 12
(4) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and continuing through the 2028-2029 13
school year, successful completion of the course in typing and cursive writing 14
required by this section shall be a high school graduation requirement. The 15
graduation requirement shall also apply to a student pursuing an early graduation 16
program, as established in KRS 158.142. 17