After the announcement by the Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust, which had been the provider of low-cost insurance for over twenty years for coverage like property insurance and workers' compensation, announced it was disbanding, school districts across Kentucky have scrambled to deal with the $60 million deficit owed by the Trust.
Some western Kentucky school districts are now seeking legal advice on whether or not they are required to help pay off the $60 million.
The West Kentucky Education Cooperative and the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative have agreed to pay half each of the $7,000 it'll cost to have an attorney review the contract between the Trust and the districts.
In January the Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust announced it was shutting down, resulting in the responsibility being passed to the state districts. Or at least that's the assumption at this time.
Bowling Green attorney Michael Owsley will be investigating whether or not that is the case and if these school districts are liable for part of the $60 million owed.
Showing posts with label Kentucky Public Schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentucky Public Schools. Show all posts
February 28, 2013
February 22, 2013
Kentucky School Safety Bill Focuses on Mental Health, Safety Drills
The majority of House Bill 354, which deals with the issue of school safety, targets the streamlining of existing practices, including the improvement of drills and safety plans, security as part of the architecture of the school buildings, and better communication with the police.
Also very important is the inclusion of mental illness being a big part of school safety. To that end the bill would mandate that the Kentucky Department of Education work on being able to better communicate with school concerning the past behavior of students, and for them and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to work on empowering school employees to recognize and give aid to those students with mental health problems.
Unfortunately, the defense of last resort - armed and trained school personnel - wasn't mentioned in the bill, as that is what would really save lives if someone is able to enter school grounds or buildings with murder as their intent.
That should be squarely faced because there is no way for the majority of Kentucky schools to have trained law enforcement officers on hand. Less than 20 percent of the schools in Kentucky have on staff as of this writing.
The bill received unanimous approval, and now goes to the House to be taken under consideration.
Also very important is the inclusion of mental illness being a big part of school safety. To that end the bill would mandate that the Kentucky Department of Education work on being able to better communicate with school concerning the past behavior of students, and for them and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to work on empowering school employees to recognize and give aid to those students with mental health problems.
Unfortunately, the defense of last resort - armed and trained school personnel - wasn't mentioned in the bill, as that is what would really save lives if someone is able to enter school grounds or buildings with murder as their intent.
That should be squarely faced because there is no way for the majority of Kentucky schools to have trained law enforcement officers on hand. Less than 20 percent of the schools in Kentucky have on staff as of this writing.
The bill received unanimous approval, and now goes to the House to be taken under consideration.
February 13, 2013
Kentucky May Take Over School Management as Early as August
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| Terry Holliday |
Since there is nothing to suggest that will happen, it appears the state will in fact take on that responsibility.
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is the impetus behind the push, but he does make some faulty and dangerous comments, when he said last week concerning the situation that there should be not only “not just equity of opportunity,” but that there is an “equity of learning outcomes for all children.”
That's a bizarre statement because no one can guarantee equal outcomes in any field of endeavor. The idea that someone or some people aren't going to do better than others is ludicrous and defies observable and measurable reality.
The idea is there should be improvement, not some artificial construct which goes from practical work and better results to the idea of it being some socialist result of equal results for everyone. History has proven it's impossible, and not even a desirable goal.
Improvement? Yes. Equal results? No. If that was legitimate, it would be like forcing a basketball program to have no winners so everyone would feel good that no one was doing better than they were. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Kentucky Senate Passes "Safety Drill" Bill
An odd bill was passed by the Kentucky Senate dubbed Senate Bill 8, which requires schools in the state to have safety drill two times a year where the classes will take place in classrooms that are locked. Doors into the school will also be required to be locked during the drills.
The bill, which was passed by a 37-0 vote, will be sent to the House for approval. For some reason a similar bill was filed in the House, even though the one that passed is already on its way.
According to Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, the bill that passed in the Senate is based upon recommendations coming from the Kentucky Center for School Safety.“School safety, security, involves so much more than just locking the school down,” he said.
Schools will also be required to put emergency response plans in place and update them on an annual basis. One part of the plan that must be performed is to have only a single access point to a school with secondary exits for backup safety.
All of this is fine, although largely irrelevant. It's just a show bill so politicians are seen to be doing something about school safety.
The best and only real deterrent is to have some administrators and teachers trained and armed so they can quickly and efficiently end any threat to the students or their colleagues.
The bill, which was passed by a 37-0 vote, will be sent to the House for approval. For some reason a similar bill was filed in the House, even though the one that passed is already on its way.
According to Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, the bill that passed in the Senate is based upon recommendations coming from the Kentucky Center for School Safety.“School safety, security, involves so much more than just locking the school down,” he said.
Schools will also be required to put emergency response plans in place and update them on an annual basis. One part of the plan that must be performed is to have only a single access point to a school with secondary exits for backup safety.
All of this is fine, although largely irrelevant. It's just a show bill so politicians are seen to be doing something about school safety.
The best and only real deterrent is to have some administrators and teachers trained and armed so they can quickly and efficiently end any threat to the students or their colleagues.
February 1, 2013
Government Food Police Strike Again
The Agriculture Department of the Federal government is now interfering more in the freedoms of individuals by introducing new rules that would allegedly make foods that are sold in the public school system more "healthful" than they are now. This coming from the same Federal department that promoted the infamous food pyramid.
Supposedly this is an effort to combat childhood obesity. The government now feels it has a mandate to battle childhood obesity? Why not start with cutting back on the junk food all the people using food stamps can buy then. That's a far bigger problem than the food children are eating in schools.
"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should
be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Really, he actually said that.
There is no obese child that has a parent "instill healthy eating habits" that is then undermined by them endlessly gorging at a school. Those obese children are obviously allowed to eat anything they want at home, only complementing it with the food they eat at school.
Either way doesn't really matter though. The government is again attempting to show itself as all powerful and big brother by sticking its nose in far beyond the mandate it exists for.
Be that as it may, what will be changed is snacks now sold in school systems will not be allowed to have over 200 calories in them. The new standards will include snack bars, vending machines, and a la carte lunch lines.
There will also be different guidelines based upon the particular school levels. For elementary and middle schools, beverages that can be offered include only water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low-fat milk.
High schools will be able to offer diet sodas, iced teas and sports drinks, although that wouldn't include all that are available, but only those approved to be offered. Calories in high school drinks would be limited to 60 to 75 calories per 12-ounce container.
As for portion sizes, in elementary schools the largest would be 8-ounce portions, while in middle schools that would increase to 12-ounces.
Other food issues such as school bake sales and food offered for fundraisers won't be regulated at the federal level, although states are empowered to do so if they choose to.
Some conservatives have rightly resisted the rules, saying government has no place in telling children what they are allowed to eat.
Supposedly this is an effort to combat childhood obesity. The government now feels it has a mandate to battle childhood obesity? Why not start with cutting back on the junk food all the people using food stamps can buy then. That's a far bigger problem than the food children are eating in schools.
"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should
be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Really, he actually said that.
There is no obese child that has a parent "instill healthy eating habits" that is then undermined by them endlessly gorging at a school. Those obese children are obviously allowed to eat anything they want at home, only complementing it with the food they eat at school.
Either way doesn't really matter though. The government is again attempting to show itself as all powerful and big brother by sticking its nose in far beyond the mandate it exists for.
Be that as it may, what will be changed is snacks now sold in school systems will not be allowed to have over 200 calories in them. The new standards will include snack bars, vending machines, and a la carte lunch lines.
There will also be different guidelines based upon the particular school levels. For elementary and middle schools, beverages that can be offered include only water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low-fat milk.
High schools will be able to offer diet sodas, iced teas and sports drinks, although that wouldn't include all that are available, but only those approved to be offered. Calories in high school drinks would be limited to 60 to 75 calories per 12-ounce container.
As for portion sizes, in elementary schools the largest would be 8-ounce portions, while in middle schools that would increase to 12-ounces.
Other food issues such as school bake sales and food offered for fundraisers won't be regulated at the federal level, although states are empowered to do so if they choose to.
Some conservatives have rightly resisted the rules, saying government has no place in telling children what they are allowed to eat.
Fairview School Board Under Suspicion of Tax Manipulation
The school board of Fairview school district in Kentucky are under suspicion for allegedly using robocalls to residents in the area, which a number of voters say are attempts to manipulate voters into accepting a proposed 3 percent sales tax on a number of services in the area.
For some unknown reason school board chairman John Burke wouldn't say one way or the other whether or not members of the school board initiated the calls, which according to some voters in the area of which recorded the calls, said appeared to originate from Atlanta, Ga.
Instead Burke attempted to dismiss the question. “We, as a board, are assessing the support for continuing operations of our school system through a 3 percent utilities tax,” Burke said.
A committee in the area is heading up an anti-tax campaign. One member of the committee, Joe Weis, said the poll isn't a poll at all, but is an attempt to sway the opinion of voters.
“Under the guise of taking a poll, they are saying things like ‘are you aware that if the utility tax is not passed, your child may have to be driven long distances to other county schools.’”
This is the third attempt by the school board to force this on area residents. The prior two were rejected.
What it entails would a 3 percent tax on electric, gas, water, sewer, cable and electric bills. Imagine how much that would add to the monthly bills of residents if enacted.
Opponents are working to collect enough signatures for a special election which would be used to eliminate the tax. They already succeeded, but the school board sued them over a language technicality in the petition, and so the petition must be circulated a second time to ensure more than enough signatures to eliminate the hefty tax.
The proposed use of the funds would be to build an new middle-school wing and major restoration of the high school.
For some unknown reason school board chairman John Burke wouldn't say one way or the other whether or not members of the school board initiated the calls, which according to some voters in the area of which recorded the calls, said appeared to originate from Atlanta, Ga.
Instead Burke attempted to dismiss the question. “We, as a board, are assessing the support for continuing operations of our school system through a 3 percent utilities tax,” Burke said.
A committee in the area is heading up an anti-tax campaign. One member of the committee, Joe Weis, said the poll isn't a poll at all, but is an attempt to sway the opinion of voters.
“Under the guise of taking a poll, they are saying things like ‘are you aware that if the utility tax is not passed, your child may have to be driven long distances to other county schools.’”
This is the third attempt by the school board to force this on area residents. The prior two were rejected.
What it entails would a 3 percent tax on electric, gas, water, sewer, cable and electric bills. Imagine how much that would add to the monthly bills of residents if enacted.
Opponents are working to collect enough signatures for a special election which would be used to eliminate the tax. They already succeeded, but the school board sued them over a language technicality in the petition, and so the petition must be circulated a second time to ensure more than enough signatures to eliminate the hefty tax.
The proposed use of the funds would be to build an new middle-school wing and major restoration of the high school.
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