Kentucky School Advocate
August 2023
Legislative panel hears request of minimum teacher salary
The Interim Joint Committee on Education heard from education leaders and advocates on July 18 about proposals to ease teacher shortages in Kentucky.
Members of the Coalition to Sustain the Education Profession shared recommendations from its upcoming report. The coalition recommends a statewide minimum salary of $45,000 for new teachers at the start of the 2024-25 school year. The average starting salary is $38,010, according to the group led by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA).
The final report will include 17 recommendations and input from 150 people, said Rhonda Caldwell, KASA executive director.
“Paying our teachers a salary that provides them with a living wage ensures that, most importantly, our quality educators are at the helm of every single classroom and keep Kentucky on par with neighboring states who actively recruit our quality teachers every single day,” she said.
Other recommendations included extending the GoTeachKY program to every school district, establishing a statewide mentoring program and a tenure review committee. The coalition also supports creating an educator stabilization fund to help attract and retain high-quality teachers in low-performing schools and for critical need positions.
Judge rules Trigg County nickel tax can go to vote
A Trigg County judge has ruled that a proposed school district nickel tax can go on the ballot.
Trigg Circuit Judge Natalie White said that even though there were several problems with the Trigg County “Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increases” committee and its petition, they did not rise to the level of keeping the question off the ballot.
The committee’s petition of 1,060 signatures – more than the 741 needed – was verified by the county clerk. However, Trigg County Schools attorney Jack Lackey Jr. filed a dispute contending five problems with the committee and its petition.
They include:
• The committee didn’t take an oath to a notary when submitting the affidavit.
• The committee didn’t affirm they would be responsible for circulating and filing said petition.
• The petition’s language didn’t take a position either “for” or “against” the tax.
• The petition’s mathematics improperly represented the tax increase by more than two cents per $100.
• The petition’s mathematics improperly represented the tax increase by more than 4% on real and personal property.
However, in a nine-page ruling, White addressed each of the points and said that they met a standard of “substantial compliance.”
She agreed that the language “for” or “against” a tax was “not ideal” but she believed that people signed the petition with the expressed intent to protest a tax increase. And though she agreed the committee misstated tax increases and percentages, she deemed the errors “non-fatal” because those protesting the tax levy “knew an increase existed.”
The Trigg County board can appeal the ruling.
Campbell County ends years-long fight over land for middle school
The Campbell County Board of Education in July voted to settle a lawsuit related to the former Disabled American Veterans property in Cold Spring.
The years-long battle was over rights to the property owned by Cold Spring where the district hoped to build a new middle school. The district claimed eminent domain when the DAV moved from the land in 2021.
Under the settlement, the city will retain ownership of the property. The school board said circumstances, namely the cost of construction, had changed since they sought the property in 2020.
The district had planned to spend about $32 million to renovate the existing building into a school but that cost is now $60 million, the district said.
“This was a perfect storm for our board,” said vice chair Peggy Schultz. “At the time of the initial decision, the DAV property was an excellent property for future development of a second middle school. However, lingering circumstances have changed dramatically, and unexpectedly.”
The district is now considering renovating its current middle school.