KASS Live: Clarity When It Matters Most

The House budget proposal (HB 500) marks the beginning, not the end, of Kentucky’s budget process. Legislative leaders have been clear that this initial framework is a starting point, with the most important decisions to be shaped through the Budget Review Subcommittee process in the weeks ahead. There is no indication that the General Assembly intends to flatline education funding. To the contrary, the structure of the process signals a willingness to listen, examine, and refine. The task before Kentucky’s superintendents now is to help ensure that the final budget delivers meaningful, recurring investments, especially in the SEEK base, that align with the real operating demands of schools. Why SEEK Matters - And Why “Meaningful” Matters More SEEK is not just another line item. It is the foundation of every district’s operating budget and the primary source of recurring revenue used to support: Competitive educator salaries Classroom instruction Day-to-day operations that keep schools safe and functional As costs continue to rise, salary schedules advance, health insurance premiums increase, transportation expenses climb, districts depend on SEEK to keep pace. A nominal increase that does not meaningfully restore purchasing power may technically move the number, but it does not solve the underlying challenge districts face. That is why it is so important that SEEK base increases in the final budget are meaningful in both years of the biennium. One-time adjustments or front-loaded changes without sustained growth leave districts in the same structural position just one year later. The goal is not growth for its own sake. The goal is stability - recurring revenue aligned with recurring costs - so districts can plan responsibly, compete for educators, and sustain the academic progress Kentucky has made. Transportation: When Local Stories Make the Case One of the most effective ways to illustrate this reality is through local examples including pupil transportation. Whitley County Superintendent John Siler recently shared data that makes the issue unmistakably clear. While statewide SEEK transportation funding is proposed to decline by roughly 10 percent, the cost of replacing a single school bus in his district has increased by as much as $39,000 in just a few years. That gap is not theoretical. It forces real tradeoffs between safety, instruction, and staffing. This story is not unique to Whitley County. Districts across Kentucky, especially rural districts with long routes and aging fleets, face the same math. When transportation funding does not reflect actual costs, districts do not stop transporting students. They divert classroom dollars to cover the gap. That is why fully funding transportation using accurate, prior-year data is so important. It doesn’t create a new program. It unlocks local dollars currently being pulled away from instruction and salaries and returns them where they belong. The Power of Superintendent Voices in the Budget Process Statewide averages and aggregate numbers can only tell part of the story. What moves the conversation during the Budget Review process are clear, credible, district-level examples that connect funding decisions to real consequences. Superintendents are uniquely positioned to explain: What a meaningful SEEK increase would allow their district to sustain or improve How flat or insufficient growth affects local compensation decisions How transportation funding gaps force tradeoffs that no district wants to make These are not advocacy talking points. They are operational realities. When legislators hear how budget choices affect bus replacement schedules, staffing stability, or long-term planning in their communities, the conversation shifts from abstract debate to practical governance. A Clear Focus for the Weeks Ahead As the budget process moves forward in Frankfort, the message from districts should remain disciplined and consistent: Kentucky’s education recovery is real and nationally recognized. That progress is tied directly to smart policy and targeted investment. Sustaining it requires meaningful SEEK base increases in both years of the biennium, along with full transportation funding and continued attention to access and opportunity for every student regardless of geography. The House budget is a framework. The Budget Review Subcommittee process is the opportunity to ensure the final product reflects the real needs of Kentucky’s schools. Local stories, like Whitley County’s, are not outliers. They are the evidence policymakers need to align funding with reality. This is the moment for superintendents to engage, share their experiences, and help shape a final budget that reinforces what is working and positions Kentucky’s public schools for continued success.