2027 KASS Kids First Legislative Priorities
Kentucky's momentum as a growing, business-friendly state depends on a strong, future-ready system of public education. Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution makes this a shared state-local responsibility, and fulfilling it is both a fiscal duty and a moral one.
KASS calls for policies that help every student become the best version of themselves: thriving, productive citizens prepared through learning aligned with their talents and aspirations. Achieving that vision requires investing in our people, teachers, principals, superintendents, and support staff, particularly as education is now designated a top-5 in-demand work sector. It also requires aligning our investment with our ambitions. Recent progress matters, but restoring the SEEK base toward its 2008 inflation-adjusted purchasing power remains essential to strengthening Kentucky's education workforce and expanding opportunities for every student.
Let us lead with urgency, advocate with purpose, and act with unity for our students, our schools, and Kentucky's future.
Top Legislative Priorities for 2027 and Beyond
Enhance the Profession of Education.
Build a stronger pipeline to attract, prepare, retain, and support high-quality professionals in Kentucky schools, including aligned scholarship and loan-forgiveness pathways, incentives for hard-to-fill subject areas, funded onboarding for new teachers under SB 265, and support for Educators Rising chapters statewide.
Strengthen Homeschool Oversight Without Burdening Responsible Families.
Study outcomes for students who enter homeschooling following significant truancy, behavioral, or disciplinary concerns, and pilot targeted monitoring for at-risk students, while protecting families who responsibly choose homeschooling.
Set Balanced, Locally-Driven Technology Guidelines.
Ensure technology complements, rather than replaces, reading, writing, discussion, and teacher-student interaction, with statewide principles that still allow districts to set practices appropriate for their own students and communities.
Fix School Facility Construction Funding and Administration.
Codify the HB 727 (2024) construction administration provisions before they expire in June 2027, move all districts toward a dime equalized for facility funding, and study modernized facility funding models.
Fully Fund the School Safety and Resiliency Act.
Fund an SRO for every school campus, move toward the statutory 1:250 mental-health-professional-to-student ratio, and preserve local flexibility to address safety needs.
Modernize Local School Tax and Budget Timelines.
Align the HB 757 (2026) 45-day tax-rate process with the September working-budget deadline, provide remedies for disputed property assessments, and apply tax-rate recall only when a rate both exceeds the 4% threshold and increases over the prior year.
Modernize Funding for Performance-Based Credit.
Give districts a reasonable share of performance-based credit funding at enrollment and meaningful participation, with the remainder tied to completion, so districts aren't fully penalized when a student doesn't finish.
Require a Fiscal Note for Every Education Bill.
Require a financial impact statement for legislation creating new costs, duties, or mandates for school districts.
Protect Local Decision-Making.
Preserve meaningful authority for locally elected boards, with statewide policy setting clear goals while leaving districts flexibility in how to meet them.
Continue Reviewing Mandates.
Identify and eliminate outdated, redundant, or unnecessarily burdensome mandates on schools and districts.
Oppose Privatization of Public Education Funding.
Oppose diverting anticipated public revenue away from public schools.
A Long-Term Call for 2028:
State Education Funding, Back on Track
KASS calls for sustained, multi-year investment in SEEK to restore the inflation-adjusted purchasing power of Kentucky's 2008 education investment, giving districts predictable, recurring resources to meet state and local priorities.
The Big Three:
Strengthen the SEEK Base.
SEEK is the primary recurring funding foundation for student learning and competitive compensation. Sustained increases toward 2008 purchasing power give locally elected boards flexibility to invest where it matters most.
Fully Fund Pupil Transportation.
Fund transportation at 100% of the statutory SEEK calculation using updated prior-year spring data, so districts don't have to cover shortfalls with dollars meant for instruction and compensation.
Strengthen Tier I Equalization.
Increase Tier I equalization so property-poor districts can generate comparable recurring local revenue. Educational opportunity should not depend on geography.
Set a statewide funding target of approximately 60% state / 40% local support, reducing pressure on local communities and strengthening all 171 districts' capacity to meet Kentucky's educational goals.
Supporting Funding Priorities
- Permanently fund and codify full-day kindergarten.
- Modernize SEEK add-ons to reflect actual costs, including SROs, mental health professionals, and gifted and talented students.
- Expand voluntary preschool access for Kentucky four-year-olds.
- Continue fully funding actuarially required TRS and Medical Insurance Trust Fund contributions.
- Modernize school facility construction and funding mechanisms.
- Strengthen the state certified minimum salary schedule while providing recurring SEEK resources for competitive compensation.
- Leverage education's In-Demand Work Sector designation for apprenticeships, Learn and Earn pathways, scholarships, and loan forgiveness.
- Ensure adequate state revenue and appropriate local revenue options to meet Kentucky's P–12 goals.
KASS
Advocacy
Message
Get Kentucky education funding back on track. Strengthen the SEEK base. Fully fund pupil transportation. Strengthen Tier I. Together, these recurring investments give local school leaders the foundation to improve student learning, compete for great educators, and meet the needs of their communities.
Our Commitment to Kentucky’s Future
Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution establishes a shared responsibility between the state and local communities to provide an efficient system of common schools. KASS remains committed to this constitutional promise. Together, with bold advocacy and collaborative leadership, we can ensure every Kentucky child has access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for success in school, career, and life.
