All Roll Calls
Yes: 251 • No: 45
KentuckySB 2072025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
AN ACT relating to education.
Sponsored By: Stephen West (Republican)
Became Law
Education, Elementary and SecondaryEducation, VocationalState AgenciesTeachersBoards and CommissionsShort Titles and Popular NamesFiscal Note
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
14 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 3 costs, 7 mixed.
Students gain accessible classroom materials options
The state board can select and buy accessible materials for Kentucky public-school students with impaired vision in kindergarten through grade 12. Selected materials can be provided free, including braille books and large print in 18- to 24-point type. These materials remain state property. Publishers of adopted public-school materials must give the American Printing House for the Blind digital files usable for braille or large-print production.
Students can receive free classroom materials
The state school officer can buy district-adopted kindergarten-through-grade-12 materials with state education board approval. Purchased materials can be distributed free to pupils in the district that adopted them. The law does not require these purchases in every district or set a dollar benefit.
Educators and parents guide materials reviews
The chief state school officer appoints at least 10 curriculum task force members for four-year terms, limited to two consecutive full terms. Eight need five years of Kentucky public-school teaching or supervisory experience and four years of college training. These seats include two teachers or instructional coaches and six principals, instructional supervisors, or superintendents. Membership also includes a public teacher-preparation faculty member and a parent whose child attends public school when appointed. Appointments must consider rural and urban areas and elementary, middle, and high school levels. The education department funds substitutes covering teacher members at each district's substitute-teacher rate.
Private schools gain instructional flexibility
Certified private and parochial schools no longer face one statutory requirement to align their instruction. They must still teach in English and offer the subjects required in public schools. Minimum school-term and instructional-year requirements also remain. The change does not set tuition or provide household payments.
Curriculum reviewers lose daily service pay
Curriculum task force members and instructional materials reviewers serve without pay, replacing the former daily compensation provisions. Necessary travel and meeting expenses remain reimbursable at the state employee per diem rate.
High school test substitution option ends
The state education board no longer has the stated authority to substitute end-of-course exams for required statewide high school tests. This restriction covers math, reading, and science assessments. It does not establish a direct charge for families.
School materials purchases can be delayed
The chief state school officer can delay instructional-material purchases when funds are insufficient. State and district purchases must still follow the instructional-material purchasing laws. The law sets no maximum delay.
Schools gain flexibility with waiver limits
Local boards can request state-rule waivers by majority vote; school councils can also request class-size waivers. The state board must approve requests likely to improve operations without harming achievement, or improve achievement. Waivers expire June 30 after the third full school year; three-year renewals require positive results and supporting evidence. Safety, background checks, civil rights, federal requirements, attendance, school-funding data, assessments, audits, public records and meetings, purchasing, and minimum instruction time remain protected. Certification waivers can cover up to 25% of teachers who hold degrees in their teaching subjects. Waived schools must admit all eligible children under local board policies, and waivers cannot erase employees' legal or professional duties. The state board can rescind waivers by a two-thirds vote for specified operational, safety, achievement, or misconduct concerns.
Elementary students must learn cursive writing
Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, every Kentucky elementary school must teach cursive writing. Lessons must be designed to ensure students become proficient by the end of grade five.
Materials sellers face safeguards and penalties
Publishers seeking adoption or approval must submit materials, prices, and standards information to the depository and provide samples when requested. They must certify that materials are free of factual errors when placed on the approved list. Publicly funded school officials and employees cannot act as agents for sellers whose materials appear on that list. The law also bans rewards intended to influence instructional-material adoption, votes, or promised influence. The expanded penalty coverage includes the instructional-material laws and allows fines up to $500, jail up to three months, or both.
Schools can seek nutrition rule exceptions
Schools must follow Kentucky's minimum standards for foods and drinks sold outside federal school meal programs. Districts can request state-board waivers for individual schools through the general waiver process. The state board must review nutrition waivers every year, regardless of their length. The law does not automatically approve any nutrition exception.
Schools get a new innovation path
The law ends the old districts-of-innovation framework, including its approval, application, and operating requirements. Local boards can instead request a school-of-innovation designation through the new waiver process. The state board must approve requests showing likely improvements in operations or student achievement. Designated schools receive waivers from state rules blocking agreements with education service providers to help manage or operate them.
Schools get new materials purchasing rules
Kentucky creates a materials depository that negotiates prices, handles approved-list purchases, and shares materials, review, adoption, and assessment information publicly. Superintendents report district selections through it, except qualifying alternate purchases. Districts can spend materials funds on off-list resources after notice and evidence that selection criteria and specifications are met. Schools also gain an off-list adoption option through their council, or principal without a council, with notice through the superintendent. Funding an unlisted subject requires showing a need and maintaining high-quality materials for listed subjects. Changes to adopted core materials wait until affected classes finish their current work; supplementary materials are excluded. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law repeals older textbook-provider bond, listing, adoption, factual-error-claim, recommended-list retention, and multiple-adoption rules.
State reviews reshape classroom materials choices
A new State Quality Curriculum Task Force publishes approved materials by grade for reading and writing, math, science, and social studies. Reviews cover standards, accessibility, accuracy, research, cultural relevance, projected cost, and supporting materials. At least eight subject reviewers need standards-review experience, and reviewers must include two parents of current Kentucky public-school students. Reviewer nominees are due within one academic year after the specified standards review; lists and consumer guides reach districts by November 15 of adoption years. Reviews follow the standards-review schedule instead of fixed staggered six-year adoptions; fast-changing subjects can receive more frequent reviews. The chief state school officer can direct reviews of additional subjects. The task force can remove materials it finds contain subversive content, without the former 30-day written-notice requirement.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Stephen West
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Gex Williams
Republican • Senate
Lindsey Tichenor
Republican • Senate
Matt Nunn
Republican • Senate
Shelley Funke Frommeyer
Republican • Senate
Steve Rawlings
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/27/2025
passed
Yes: 31 • No: 7
House vote • 3/27/2025
passed
Yes: 78 • No: 16
House vote • 3/14/2025
passed
Yes: 73 • No: 16
Senate vote • 3/14/2025
passed
Yes: 31 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/4/2025
3rd reading, passed
Yes: 38 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 113)
3/27/2025enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/27/2025Senateenrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/27/2025Senatereceived in Senate
3/27/2025Senatepassed 78-16
3/27/2025Houseveto overridden
3/27/2025Houseposted for consideration of Governor's veto
3/27/2025taken from Rules
3/27/2025Houseto Rules (H)
3/27/2025Housereceived in House
3/27/2025Housepassed 31-7
3/27/2025Senateveto overridden
3/27/2025Senateposted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
3/27/2025to Rules (S)
3/27/2025Senatereceived in Senate
3/27/2025SenateVetoed
3/26/2025delivered to Governor
3/14/2025enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/14/2025Senateenrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/14/2025Senatepassed 31-6
3/14/2025SenateSenate concurred in House Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
3/14/2025Senateposted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
3/14/2025Houseto Rules (S)
3/14/2025Senatereceived in Senate
3/14/2025Senatepassed 73-16 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
3/14/2025House
Bill Text
Current
3/27/2025
Introduced
3/4/2025
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