Education
GOP bashes Beshear, Harris at Fancy Farm as crowd is energized by school funding amendment
FANCY FARM — The stage at this year’s Fancy Farm picnic in West Kentucky was dominated by Republicans who used their speaking time to tee off on an absent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, sprinkling in attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, who has locked up the Democratic nomination for president. […]
University of Kentucky will not build hospital in southeast Lexington, state lawmakers hear
FRANKFORT — The University of Kentucky will not build a hospital in southeast Lexington because it wants to do what its network of rural hospital partners want: focus on its mission as a top-level care facility for the sickest patients, a UK vice president told a legislative subcommittee Wednesday. The proposed Hamburg-area hospital “was perceived […]
U.S. appeals court agrees to block central part of new Title IX gender rules for schools
A federal appellate court has upheld blocking central parts of new Title IX rules from the Biden administration and granted an expedited hearing in October.? A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday to block the rules from taking effect Aug. 1, shortly before most schools begin their academic year. […]
University president defends multicultural religious, social, and academic groups on campus
FRANKFORT — For almost 90 minutes on Tuesday, Kentucky lawmakers who tried to ban diversity, equity and inclusion in Kentucky’s colleges were told why such programs were needed in higher education. Yet, one legislator said DEI programs “segregate” students.? Among presenters were two university presidents — Northern Kentucky University President Cady Short-Thompson and Morehead State […]
Jefferson County schools officials present district information to Kentucky legislative task force
Jefferson County Public Schools officials appeared Monday before a new legislative task force that will examine the governance of Kentucky’s largest school district.? Led by Marty Pollio, the district’s superintendent, the officials laid out information about the district’s enrollment, financial records, governance structure and more to the Efficient & Effective School District Governance Task Force. […]
Public school funding at risk if Kentuckians approve Amendment 2, new study says
Kentucky’s public schools could take a big hit to their state funding if voters approve a constitutional amendment this fall allowing the General Assembly to begin funding private schools, a progressive think tank and several school leaders warned Monday. The new report from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KyPolicy) estimates that if Kentucky were […]
GOP plan to reverse final Title IX rule passes U.S. House, but Biden says he’d veto
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed?a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk. House passage of the resolution on a party-line vote,?210-205, is part of a barrage of […]
Citizen members of JCPS task force announced ahead of first meeting
Five citizens have been selected to join a legislative task force that will examine Jefferson County Public Schools’ governance.? The General Assembly passed House Concurrent Resolution 81 to create the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force during the last legislative session. The task force will review school districts with enrollment above 75,000 students. […]
Kentucky State University’s rebound, one year into president’s tenure
FRANKFORT —?A year into his presidency, Koffi Akakpo is optimistic that Kentucky State University will enroll significantly more students this fall. In a recent interview, Akakpo said Kentucky’s only historically black public university is on its way to overcoming problems that put KSU into crisis a few years ago. “We’re still working on it, but […]
Kentucky State University receives $7 million grant for agriculture research network
FRANKFORT —?Kentucky State University has been awarded a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation for an agricultural research incubator that has partners across the state. With the dollars, KSU plans to establish a statewide research network that focuses on agriculture, climate change and access to fresh food called Driving AgTech Research and Education […]
‘Larger than life’ sociologist who broke down racial barriers at University of Kentucky dies at 88
Doris Y. Wilkinson, a University of Kentucky sociologist and part of its first class of Black undergraduates, died June 23. She was 88.? Wilkinson entered UK in 1954, the year a U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawed racial segregation in public education and the first year that Kentucky’s flagship public university accepted Black undergraduates. She had […]
Federal appeals court blocks Title IX guidance challenged by 20 states, including Kentucky
The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled against Biden administration guidance on how schools should protect students from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The court ruled Friday that the guidance from the U.S. Department of Education is invalid, upholding a lower court ruling. Kentucky is among the 20 states that […]