School News from Around Kentucky

‘Surprise’ $2M changes Oldham school board budget: Oldham school board members had only one night to review and approve a $110 million revised working budget for fiscal year 2010-11. Chuck Littrell, finance officer for the school district, spent six months preparing a $107.5 million working budget and submitted it to board members by Sept. 17, but a last minute $2 million “surprise” federal allocation from the state — and the subsequent order from the Kentucky Department of Education to include the new grant in the current year’s working budget — caused Littrell to re-tabulate and present revisions at the regularly scheduled Sept. 27 board meeting. This is frustrating to me to get the information so late,” Littrell said, noting that this was the first time in 16 years he has had to resubmit a working budget for formal approval. “Why did we waste time working on the budget for six months only to have the state come in at the 13th hour and treat us like this?” board member Walt Schumm asked. “We deserve a little more time than an hour at a board meeting,” he said. KDE requires all districts to revise their working budgets by Sept. 30 in order to meet federal guidelines regarding the new funds; they announced the new allocation via a web presentation Sept. 20. (Oldham Era News)

Laurel County Board reviews final budget draft: With $5.5 million tucked away in its rainy day fund and money now dedicated to projects previously delayed to save costs, the Laurel County school district’s $93.7 million working budget is in good shape.“It’s a very healthy budget and somewhat on the conservative side,” Superintendent David Young said. “We’ve done a good job in getting through this financial crisis. We’ve been looking into the future for the crisis that may come, and I feel confident we’ll be able to weather all this and keep everything intact as it is.”The working budget, the final of three drafts the district is mandated to put together each year, shows the district has revenues — and expenditures — of about $4 million more this year than last year.Business Manager Jim Kennedy said the largest chunk of that amount can be attributed to the district receiving $2.1 million in EduJobs federal stimulus funds. There is also $500,000 left over from last year’s budget. (Sentinel Echo)

Education Matters: Why do experts say early childhood education is such an important investment? What are the characteristics of a quality program? And, how can community collaborations improve the education offered to Kentucky’s youngest students? These questions and more are explored in a new edition of Education Matters. “Early Childhood Education: The Path to School Success” airsTuesday, October 19, at 9/8 p.m. CT on KET. Host Bill Goodman discusses early childhood education with Annette Bridges, director of the Division of Early Childhood Development at the Kentucky Department of Education; Madison County School Superintendent Thomas Floyd; Cindy Heine, interim executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence; and Rick Hulefeld, executive director of Children, Inc. in Northern Kentucky. (KET)

Coach accused of sexual abuse forbidden from being in county: At a hearing Wednesday in Madison District Court, Judge Brandy O. Brown altered the terms of a bond for Joey J. Tate, 34, forbidding him from being in Madison County.Tate is a former instructor and assistant football coach at Madison Southern High School. He resigned his position Sept. 15, one day before his arrest Sept. 16 arrest. He is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a Class D felony and, attempted unlawful transaction with a minor, first-degree illegal sex act, child under the age of 18, a Class A misdemeanor. (Richmond Register)

Becky Sagan resigns as Fayette school board chairwoman - Sagan's new home is not in district she represents: Fayette County Board of Education Chairwoman Becky Sagan is resigning effective immediately because she and her husband are buying a home outside District 5, which she represents. Sagan said Wednesday she has notified state Education Commissioner Terry Holliday, who will have 90 days to name a successor to hold the 5th District seat until the fall 2011 election. Sagan's resignation also means that vice chairman John Price, who represents District 3, will become school board chairman. (H-L)

Fayette schools won't raise property taxes this year - Officials unsure last time rate remained flat: The Fayette County Board of Education has a present for Lexington's taxpayers: For the first time in many years, the board isn't raising school taxes.
The Fayette schools' new 2010-11 working budget, which the board recently adopted, leaves the basic school tax rate on real estate at 62.9 cents per $100 evaluation — the same as last year — while the personal property tax rate stays unchanged at 5.3 cents. (H-L)

Louisville - Fischer picks up endorsement from Jefferson County Teachers' group: Democratic mayoral candidate Greg Fischer received an endorsement from the Jefferson County Teachers Association Wednesday — a group that represents some 12,000 current and retired public school teachers. Brent McKim, president of the JCTA, said his organization interviewed both candidates before the May 18 primary election. Neither Fischer nor Heiner came away with the JCTA endorsement in the primary. McKim said Fischer got the organization’s nod this time because his “understanding of and support for the public schools in Jefferson County is head and shoulders above Hal Heiner’s. I think he’s interested in working with schools to make them better and not pointing fingers and blaming them.” (C-J)

Boone County teacher sues over child abuse claims: A Boone County teacher who faced a felony charge for spanking his son before a judge threw out the case has sued a sheriff’s detective, prosecutor and his ex-wife. Christopher Robison, 46, claims in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Covington Wednesday that his arrest and prosecution was the result of his ex-wife trying to get custody of their children. Because Commonwealth’s Attorney Linda Tally Smith is friends with Robison’s ex-wife, Robison’s attorney Eric Deters said that she and Boone County Sheriff’s Detective Tracy Watson “had an improper motive for instituting and continuing the pursuit of this charge.” (Enquirer)

Kenton Co school uses iPad to cut back on paper use: Students in a Kentucky fourth-grade classroom will test the educational and environmental effects of Apple's iPad during a yearlong pilot program. Students were tested before receiving the devices and will be tested at the school year's end to measure the impact on their science, technology, engineering and math skills. Officials say they also hope to make the classroom paperless through the use of iPads. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)

Show me the money - A federal judge blocks contribution limit in school board elections: When University of Louisville professor Ben Foster campaigned for a seat on the Jefferson County Board of Education two years ago, he felt hampered by the contribution limit put on school board candidates. The first-time candidate raised more than twice the amount of his opponent, but still found it difficult to compete because the Jefferson County Teachers Association spent more than $160,000 promoting its selection: longtime board member Larry Hujo. In Kentucky, campaign contributions up to $1,000 from individuals are allowed in most political races, but for school board candidates, the limit is $100 from individuals and $200 from political action committees and other groups. (Leo Weekly)

Top prosecutors to follow U.S. judge’s lead, let board candidates accept more than $100 per person - Federal judge says board candidates may get same $1,000 as other Kentucky offices: Two prosecutors, including the attorney general, won’t take any action if they receive complaints that Kentucky school board candidates accept otherwise legal contributions from individuals of as much as $1,000 for the November election. Attorney General Jack Conway and Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney David Stengel have agreed not to pursue criminal investigations if board candidates accept more than the $100 individual contribution limit of state law. (KSBA)

Portland Elementary school makes gains with whole-child approach: One Kentucky elementary school that is located in a poor neighborhood where 91% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals is making significant academic gains -- despite its disadvantages -- after taking a whole-child approach to school. Educators are attributing the students' success to smaller class sizes, individualized instruction and social services for students, among other factors. "When you start meeting all the needs of the child, you see results," a district official said. (The Courier-Journal)

Teachers will work on new literacy guideline: Teachers in Daviess County Public Schools have been picked to help develop new literacy standards that could be used across the country.The Literacy Design Collaborative will be funded in Kentucky by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the money split between six school districts by the Lexington-based Prichard Committee, a citizen-based educational advocacy group. Daviess County and districts in Kenton, Boyle, Fayette, Jessamine and Rockcastle counties are receiving part of the $300,471 grant.DCPS Superintendent Tom Shelton said teachers plan to increase the focus on reading and writing by making them an integral part of every subject."This method that they're going to be using in the literacy work is developing modules, more than just lessons or units," Shelton said. "Teachers can actually teach reading no matter what subject area they're in. Even math at the high school level requires a lot of reading. This modular approach will allow all our teachers to be reading teachers within our content areas and allow more growth and development for the students." (Messenger-Inquirer subscription)