Education

Kentucky officials say they want to make the state's voluntary rating system for childcare facilities mandatory and they will have help in the amount of $44 million to do it.

That’s the amount of money Kentucky won as part of the federal government’s Race to the Top grant competition for early childhood education. It's the third round of such funding provided by the the U.S. Department of Education with help from the Department of Health and Human Services.

A Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education report released today has found more than 12,000 students transferred from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to four-year institutions, more than meeting its goal of 9,580.

The annual accountability report measures college readiness, student success, economic and community development and innovation for the 2011-2012 academic year with goals set to be met by the 2013-2014 academic year.

The following school systems are delayed or canceled for Thursday, Dec. 12:

Ballard County Schools are closed Thursday.

Carlisle County Schools are closed Thursday. Staff is to report at 8 a.m.

  A non-partisan economic policy group has released a report showing large gaps in per-student funding among school districts that approved tax increases this year.

Around half of Kentucky school boards approved the maximum 4 % property tax increase to help fund public schools. That's partly because the state hasn’t raised per-pupil funding for a number of years. 

The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy paper shows that some districts like Southgate Independent Schools in northern Kentucky will receive an additional $200 more per student through property taxes. While other districts like Bath County, in eastern Kentucky, will only receive $24 more per student.

The Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges reaffirmed the University of Tennessee at Martin for accreditation yesterday.

The action was announced during the annual SACS Commission on Colleges meeting in Atlanta. UT-Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes was among several university officials who attended the meeting.

The announcement Tuesday follows a SACS team visit to UT-Martin in February as part of the university’s 10-year review.

At  a legislative event hosted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the divisive issue of charter schools and parent choice took center stage.

As one of eight states without charter school legislation on its books, the debate in Kentucky is only getting louder as the January session of the General Assembly draws closer.

The Murray State board of regents met Friday and deferred actions on budget planning and review team recommendations to identify cuts and increased revenue.

A consultant will be brought in to help with the search for a new leader of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Regents appointed a committee on Friday to select the consultant who will ferret out potential replacements for current President Michael B. McCall.