A $1.3 Billion School Funding Shortfall in Kentucky
It's time to reinvest in the Commonwealth's schools
While Kentucky has historically been a leader among its Southeastern peers in education funding, a new report suggests the Bluegrass State is not keeping up - and students are paying the price.
From the Lexington Herald-Leader:
School funding in Kentucky has not kept pace with inflation in recent years, resulting in an annual statewide shortfall of $1.3 billion, according to new reports from a group of superintendents who lobby for public school funding.
The Council for Better Education offers more details:
According to the data, Kentucky’s current SEEK base guarantee of $4,326 per student would need to exceed $5,743 to match the purchasing power it held in 2008. Transportation is also underfunded, with the state covering just 74% of calculated costs in recent years.
The data referenced comes from the CBE’s “Back on Track” Report - focused on the funding needed to get the state’s school funding formula back to adequacy.
The report calls for a per pupil increase of more than $2000 - with funds going to support resources, staffing, and transportation.
The call comes as Kentucky faces a teacher shortage - one not helped by shrinking salaries and less valuable pensions:
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy notes:
Kentucky has fallen to 42nd among states in teacher salaries, and the average district is paying its teachers 20% less than it was before the Great Recession after adjusting for inflation. Inadequate pay is contributing to a growing teacher shortage across the commonwealth.
In their case, the Kentucky Student Voice Team argues the state is funding schools at 24% below the proper level - that funding has failed to keep up with inflation and so the formula has fallen severely behind.
Gov. Beshear has proposed boosting funding for schools, but so far, the General Assembly has not backed his efforts. Instead, the legislature’s GOP leadership sued to force school vouchers on the state and when they lost in court, took the issue to voters.
Kentucky voters - by a 2-1 margin - rejected school vouchers in the 2024 elections.
Now, with the public’s mandate clear, the question is: Will the legislature step up and properly fund schools?