KBE Action on Testing & Corbin/Knox Conflict

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Kentucky Board of Education took action and heard presentations on a number of items.

The board approved a plan extending the testing window for spring statewide testing, enabling school districts to recover instructional days lost to illness outbreaks and inclement weather. Under the extension, districts may choose among four Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT) testing window options: April 19-30; April 26-May 7; May 3-14; and May 10-21. Kentucky has been granted a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to delay public reporting of test results and to waive the federally required 14-day notice to school districts of the public choice option and notice of school choice under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

The board agreed to amend Education Commissioner Terry Holliday’s decision related to the lack of a nonresident student agreement between the Corbin Independent and Knox County school districts. In March, Holliday issued a decision pursuant to KRS 157.350 (4), which provides for the appeal of nonresident student agreements between districts. That decision was appealed to the Kentucky Board of Education by the Corbin Board of Education.
The amendment to the decision would enable the siblings of current nonresident students enrolled in Corbin Independent from Knox County to also enroll as nonresidents in the 2010-11 school year. Holliday’s original decision indicated that:

1. The 2010-11 nonresident student agreement between the Corbin Independent and Knox County school districts shall include all of those nonresident students currently attending either district pursuant to the 2009-10 nonresident student agreement between the districts. No additional nonresident students shall be enrolled under the nonresident contract (with SEEK funds allocated for the students) by either district for the 2010-11 school year. Nonresident students not currently enrolled in either district may be enrolled in the nonresident district if the receiving district agrees and if established tuition payments are enforced by the receiving district.

2. The superintendents of both districts and the chairs and vice-chairs of both respective boards of education shall participate in a formal mediation of this issue in preparation for the 2011-12 nonresident student agreement. The costs of the mediation shall be equally shared by each school district. The parties shall mutually agree and select a mediator from a list of mediators attached to this letter. The mediators on the list have been selected based upon the following:
1) listing on the Administrative Office of the Courts Mediator Roster
2) status as a retired/former judge in the Commonwealth
3) residence in an area other than that of the vicinity of Corbin/Knox County, Kentucky

The initial mediation shall occur on or before September 1, 2010.

The board approved the Statements of Commitment required for Kentucky to join the Partnership for Next Generation Learning (NxGL Partnership) and committed to supporting the P20 Innovation Labs of the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University.
The board voted to proceed with the removal of Breathitt County Board of Education member Kelly Noble as provided in KRS 156.132 and based on the findings of the Transportation Cabinet’s inspector general.

The board took the following actions:
· gave final approval to 704 KAR 3:540, the state regulation that requires the use of uniform academic course codes
· reappointed Denishia Martin, a teacher at Warren County High School, to the State Textbook Commission
· appointed Natalie Bolton, director of the Office of Civic Education and Engagement in the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development
· granted a waiver of state regulation 704 KAR 3:345 (Evaluation Guidelines) for evaluation pilot districts during the 2010-11 school year
· approved district facility plans for Green, Hart and Logan County
· approved district facility plan amendments for Clay County and Cloverport Independent
· approved 2009-10 local district working budgets
· approved the 2009 Report, 2009 Exceptions and 2010 Plan for 702 KAR 1:115, Annual In-Service Training of district board members

The board heard presentations on a variety of items:
· state regulation 704 KAR 3:303, Required Core Academic Standards
· 2010 elementary and secondary legislation
· expansion of schools participating in AdvanceKentucky
· Unified College and Career Readiness Plan
· Senate Bill 1 (2009) work
· state regulation 702 KAR 5:110, Reimbursement for vocational pupils

The Kentucky Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for June 9 and 10 in Frankfort.

Knox, Corbin school boards have meetings this week over reciprocal agreement

This from the Times-Tribune:

The Knox County and Corbin school boards will meet this week to decide whether to appeal Education Commissioner Terry Holliday’s decision on the districts’ reciprocal agreements.

The Knox County Board of Education has called a special meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss in closed, executive session the possibility of litigation over the decision. District spokesperson David Cole said any decision to appeal or file suit would be made in open, public session.

The Corbin Board of Education’s regular Thursday meeting includes discussion of the nonresident decision which, according to the agenda, “may require an executive session in that litigation may be threatening and/or pending.”

Corbin had appealed to Holliday over Knox County’s January decision to end the reciprocal agreement, which allowed students to attend either district.

In his decision released Wednesday, Holliday determined that only students in Knox County currently attending Corbin schools will be allowed to continue their schooling at Corbin for the 2010-11 year. The decision only affects the upcoming school year, and requires the districts enter into mediation before Sept. 1, 2010 over the 2011-2012 non-resident agreement.

Either Corbin or Knox County can further appeal the decision to the Kentucky Board of Education.

“While it is true that the Commissioner’s decision requires a little longer timetable than we envisioned, we think the measures being required are actually very doable and will allow us, in the end, to obtain what is beneficial to our school district,” wrote Knox Superintendent Walter T. Hulett in a letter to district staff. The letter concludes, “The Commissioner recognized our district’s clearly articulated vision and effective practices that will move us forward with the newly passed Senate Bill 1.” ...

Corbin Turns to Holliday

This from the Times Tribune:

Corbin ready to take fight

to Ky. Court of Appeals

The Corbin Board of Education is willing to take its fight to reinstate the non-resident reciprocal agreement axed by the Knox County Board of Education all the way to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

That appeals process will first begin with Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday.

During a special work session Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to authorize Superintendent Ed McNeel to send a written appeal to Holliday.

If that appeal fails to result in the reinstatement of the reciprocal agreement, the board directed McNeel to appeal to the Kentucky Board of Education. If both those appeals fail, Bob Hammons, attorney for the Corbin district, said the district will pursue the agreement’s reinstatement in Franklin Circuit Court and the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

Earlier this month, the Knox County Board of Education voted to end its long-standing non-resident reciprocal agreement with Corbin.

That vote, which impacts 169 students who live in Knox district but attend Corbin schools, has sparked an outcry from some parents and protests from Corbin
officials....

Once Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday receives the written appeal, he has 30 days to rule on the matter, according to Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education.

In forming his ruling, Gross said the primary data Holliday will consider includes academic performance, the impact the decision will have on programs in both districts, facilities issues, transportation and staffing.

KSN&C Backstory...and this.

Parents organize against Knox Co school board decision

Developing ‘action plan’ to allow Knox students

to continue attending Corbin schools at no cost

This from the Times Tribune:

Angry Knox County parents are developing an “action plan” to fight the Knox school board’s recent decision to end the reciprocal agreement that allowed county students to attend Corbin schools at no cost. They’ve created a Facebook page — 260 members and growing — and have dubbed themselves Knox Parents for Corbin Schools. But during a Monday planning meeting, parents had varying viewpoints on how they can legally challenge the board’s decision, and some were misinformed on their rights when it comes to school choice.

The meeting was held at Grace on the Hill Church, organized by parents Dr. Paul Cooney and Pat Evans, and publicized by word-of-mouth and text messages. The parents are asking the Knox board to reconsider its repeal of the Corbin reciprocal agreement — a move that means the 169 children in the Knox district who attend Corbin schools will have to pay a $1,200 annual tuition to continue schooling at Corbin.

More than 150 people signed a petition at the meeting Monday opposing Knox’s decision.

“We feel this decision will harm children educationally, socially, and mentally,” the petition reads. “Furthermore, it will have negative ramifications on property values in the west Knox area. We ask you, the Knox County school board, to reconsider this
decision.”

Cooner also gave out school board members’ home and cell phone numbers, and provided sample statements for parents to express their displeasure with the board when they call.

David Cole, public relations director for Knox County schools, said the school board is expecting a large turnout for its 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting at the board annex building on Daniel Boone Drive in Barbourville. The district is prepared to relocate to the Knox County Middle School gym, but the move will only take place if too many people crowd the annex; residents should show up at the annex before assuming the
meeting will be moved, Cole said.

Six representatives of Knox Parents for Corbin Schools will have a total of 30 minutes to speak about the reciprocal agreement, Cole said. “They’ll not be taking any additional comments from the floor,” he said, adding that Knox Superintendent Walter T. Hulett was preparing a slideshow presentation explaining the board’s vote.

STATE FUNDING

In an article printed in Saturday’s Times-Tribune, Knox officials cited a six-figure revenue loss for the district in their reasoning for the vote.

For the current school year, the state pays school districts a base amount of $3,866 per-student in SEEK (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky) funding, though Lisa Gross, spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Education, said the actual amount of state money allocated to each district may vary due to how the funding formula works.

The state is paying $4,153 for each Corbin Independent student and $4,913 for each Knox County student, Gross said.

While 32 Corbin students attend Knox schools, 169 Knox students go to Corbin, representing a net loss of 137 students (and the SEEK funding attached to them) for Knox County.

Gross said the SEEK funding follows students when they attend an out-of-district school only when the two districts have a reciprocal agreement.

Without an agreement, Corbin stands to lose $4,153 for each Knox district student attending Corbin schools, gaining only $1,200 in tuition. Knox stands to gain $4,913 for every student who stays in district for the first time...