All Roll Calls
Yes: 227 • No: 27
KentuckyHB 2412025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency.
Sponsored By: Timmy Truett (Republican)
Became Law
Education, Elementary and SecondaryEffective Dates, EmergencyState AgenciesTeachersChildren and MinorsBoards and Commissions
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Nonresident virtual students face enrollment limits
Beginning in 2025–2026, full-time nonresident enrollment in district kindergarten-through-grade-12 virtual programs is capped at 1% of the previous year’s statewide enrollment. Exclusions cover siblings already enrolled in the same program, military dependents, and pupils whose physician documents a potentially beneficial medical condition. Districts report enrollment, and the state monitors the cap; provisional enrollment starts at 0.85%. A provisional pupil is approved if the state gives no decision within two business days. After June 30, 2028, districts cannot continue nonresident virtual enrollment unless the General Assembly expressly allows it.
School employees keep contract-day credit
Under the 2024–2025 calendar rules, classified and certified school-board employees received credit toward completing their employment contracts. Each day made up by lengthening school days counted as one completed contract day. Each attendance day waived under those rules also counted. The law did not set a separate payment amount.
District virtual schools gain state protections
Districts may run virtual programs, and boards must set policies for missed state tests, including kindergarten readiness tests. Through June 30, 2028, state education officials cannot set or require enrollment limits for qualifying fully virtual alternatives to traditional schools. These programs have no regular in-person instruction. Through that date, the state education department and board also cannot reduce or withhold a district’s state school funds because it runs a virtual program. These protections do not override enrollment limits elsewhere in the law or guarantee a funding amount.
Schools can exclude more low-attendance days
For 2024–2025, qualifying districts could exclude five extra low-attendance days when calculating average daily attendance. That was in addition to the five days already excluded. Districts qualified only if they used 10 or fewer nontraditional instruction days and skipped the specified disaster-relief days and attendance-day waivers. This changed a school funding calculation, not a direct household payment.
Low-performing districts face virtual enrollment caps
These caps apply to independent districts with more than 2,000 virtual students on the law’s effective date. An elementary school in the bottom 5% for 2023–2024 triggers a kindergarten-through-grade-five virtual enrollment cap at the effective-date level. A middle or high school in the bottom 5% for a school year before June 30, 2028, triggers a cap for its grades. That cap uses enrollment on the previous school year’s last instructional day. Each cap lasts until all district schools at the covered levels leave the bottom 5%. Exceptions cover current virtual pupils’ siblings, military dependents, and pupils with a medical professional’s written statement showing a need for virtual instruction.
Schools gain temporary calendar flexibility
For 2024–2025, districts could replace the usual 170-day minimum with 1,062 instructional hours under a state-approved plan. Authorized time waivers reduced that total. Days could exceed seven instructional hours only under an approved innovative alternative calendar. The commissioner could grant up to five disaster-relief attendance days for alternative instruction during health or safety closures. Districts unable to reach 1,062 hours by June 4, 2025, could receive up to five district-wide attendance-day waivers. They first had to make up days by lengthening school days; waivers could mean fewer attendance days.
Virtual schools gain looser staffing rules
In schools without school-based decision making, qualifying virtual teachers may serve up to 300 pupil hours daily. That compares with the 150-pupil-hour classroom-teacher limit; 300 remains the ceiling. Eligible programs offer all courses virtually, have no regular in-person instruction, and replace traditional in-person schooling. Virtual kindergarten programs are exempt from the one-aide-per-24 full-time-equivalent-students rule; school councils can also waive that rule. These changes give districts staffing flexibility but allow higher teacher loads and fewer required aides.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Timmy Truett
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Anne Gay Donworth
Democrat • House
Beverly Chester-Burton
Democrat • House
Chad Aull
Democrat • House
Derek Lewis
Republican • House
John Blanton
Republican • House
Jennifer Decker
Republican • House
Nick Wilson
Republican • House
Tom Smith
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/14/2025
passed
Yes: 91 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/13/2025
bill passed
Yes: 31 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/6/2025
passed
Yes: 23 • No: 14
House vote • 2/21/2025
3rd reading, passed
Yes: 82 • No: 7
Actions Timeline
became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 94)
3/27/2025filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
3/25/2025delivered to Governor
3/14/2025enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/14/2025Houseenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/14/2025Housepassed 91-0
3/14/2025HouseFree Conference Committee report adopted in House
3/14/2025Houseposted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Free Conference Committee Report (1)
3/14/2025Houseto Rules (H)
3/14/2025Housereceived in House
3/14/2025Housebill passed 31-6
3/13/2025SenateFree Conference Committee report adopted in Senate
3/13/2025Senateposted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report (1)
3/13/2025HouseFree Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate
3/13/2025HouseFree Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
3/13/2025HouseConference Committee report adopted in Senate
3/13/2025SenateConference Committee report (1) filed in Senate
3/13/2025SenateConference Committee report adopted in House
3/13/2025HouseConference Committee report (1) filed in House
3/13/2025HouseConference Committee appointed in House and Senate
3/12/2025HouseSenate refused to recede from Committee Substitute (2) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
3/12/2025Senateposted for passage for receding from Senate Committee Substitute (2) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
3/12/2025Senatetaken from Rules
3/11/2025Senateto Rules (S)
3/11/2025Senatereceived in Senate
3/11/2025Senate
Bill Text
Current
3/14/2025
Introduced
2/4/2025
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