UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 993
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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 district; and 22
WHEREAS, the General Assembly seeks expert opinions and research from 23
education-focused institutions such as the Pritchard Committee, the Council on 24
Postsecondary Education, the Southern Regional Education Board, national educational 25
research organizations, and any other organization that can provide relevant and pertinent 26
information that pertains to school governance structures; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 993
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NOW, THEREFORE, 1
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 2
Kentucky, the House of Representatives concurring therein: 3
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission is hereby directed to establish 4
the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force to: 5
(1) Review current district governance and administration models of Kentucky's 6
largest county school district and compare the governance and operational structures to 7
school districts in other states with similar size and demographic composition; 8
(2) Review publications, reports, and analyses of school governance relating to 9
district size, the efficiency of a district, and the effects of size on student outcomes, 10
including but not limited to a report from the Office of Education Accountability on 11
school district effectiveness that was approved in the office's 2024 research agenda and 12
previous Kentucky Department of Education management reports; 13
(3) Hear testimony from statewide education entities with experience in research 14
on and expertise in education organizational structures, policies, and governance; 15
(4) Hear testimony from parents, teachers, school administrators, and members of 16
school councils and the local board of the state's largest county school district on the 17
strengths and weaknesses of existing governing structures and possible alternatives; 18
(5) Review relevant past performance audits, correction plans, and other analyses 19
of the state's largest county school district; 20
(6) Review how other states have implemented the creation of new school 21
districts and the benefits and challenges of those new districts; 22
(7) Assess the need for additional school districts; 23
(8) Explore options for the creation of new school districts from the state's largest 24
county school district and the potential impact on: 25
(a) Federal, state, and local funding; 26
(b) School taxes and taxing authority; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 993
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(c) District boundaries and student enrollment; 1
(d) Continuation of student services; 2
(e) District real property and facilities; 3
(f) District bonding liability; 4
(g) District property; 5
(h) Racial makeup; 6
(i) Transportation; 7
(j) Governance; 8
(k) Interscholastic athletics; 9
(l) Assessment and accountability; 10
(m) Personnel and tenure; 11
(n) Transition and startup timelines; 12
(o) Implementation costs; 13
(p) Compliance with federal law; and 14
(q) Any other issue; 15
(9) Assess the current cost-benefit analysis as it relates to the yearly per pupil 16
costs of providing education in the state's largest county school district; 17
(10) Evaluate the current and future impact due to any governance changes of 18
school districts that are surrounded by the state's largest county school district; 19
(11) Examine any other investigative initiative that is relevant and pertinent data 20
and information; and 21
(12) Develop and submit any recommendations and changes the task force may 22
adopt relating to the state's largest county school district and its governance and 23
administration and how to better ensure the efficient and effective organization of the 24
Commonwealth's school districts to the Legislative Research Commission by December 25
1, 2024. 26
Section 2. The Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 993
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shall be composed of the following members, with final membership of the task force 1
being subject to the consideration and approval of the Legislative Research Commission: 2
(1) Two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker 3
of the House, one of whom shall be designated to serve as co-chair; 4
(2) Two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, 5
one of whom shall be designated to serve as co-chair; 6
(3) One member of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Minority 7
Floor Leader of the House; 8
(4) One member of the Senate to be appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of 9
the Senate; 10
(5) The State Auditor or designee; 11
(6) To be appointed by the Legislative Research Commission: 12
(a) Two members who are taxpayers living in the state's largest county school 13
district, who are not current employees of the school district, have competency and 14
experience or knowledge in the field of education, and have children that are currently 15
attending or recently graduated within the past five years from the school district; 16
(b) Two members with experience in finance, management, and operations of 17
large businesses that operate in the Commonwealth; and 18
(c) One member who is a certified teacher currently or formerly employed as a 19
classroom teacher in the state's largest county school district who has at least five years of 20
experience working in the district; and 21
(7) The mayor or designee from the largest city located in the state's largest 22
county school district. 23
Section 3. The Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force 24
shall meet at least twice per month. The Legislative Research Commission shall assign 25
staff from the Commission or the Office of Education Accountability as necessary to 26
assist the task force to conduct its business and shall determine the meeting locations of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 993
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the task force during the interim. The Commission may also enter into contracts with 1
consultants to assist the task force in its duties. 2
Section 4. Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the 3
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 4
issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to 5
designate a study completion date. 6