'Guardians' with guns, cursive makes a return: 10 new education laws in Kentucky

Rebecca Grapevine and Hannah Pinski, Louisville Courier Journal
Updated ·3 min read

Out of the more than 200 new laws that take effect July 15, many of them are related to — or directly touch — Kentucky's education system. New Laws range from who K-12 schools can hire to patrol campuses to curriculum requirements, including teaching cursive.

Other laws deal with Kentucky's higher education system, including a new repayment program to motivate livestock veterinarians to practice in areas with a veterinarian shortage.

Here's a look at some of the educational changes:

Truancy

House Bill 611 requires school district officials to report cases where students are absent more than 15 days during the school year to the county attorney to determine whether further court intervention is needed.

Kentucky schools can hire 'guardians'

Kentucky schools can bring in armed veterans and retired police officers to patrol campuses. Also known as "guardians," they would receive training and could be paid or volunteer. Senate Bill 2 also says the guardian "may be armed with a firearm" on school property.

Be a substitute teacher with just a high school diploma or GED

House Bill 387, among other things, allows the state Education Professional Standards Board to issue a one-year emergency certificate for substitute teaching to people who have earned a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma and met the other requirements.

Nicotine products and schools

House Bill 142 requires school boards to include evidence-based nicotine prevention and cessation materials to all students at the start of the school year and access throughout the school year. Districts must include a disciplinary provision that students found to possess nicotine, tobacco or vaping products will have those products confiscated.

Boards of education

House Bill 449 allows members of local boards of education to be removed if they are convicted of felonies, commit an act of malfeasance while performing their board duties or misappropriate public funds or property. It also requires ethics and open government training for board members.

Portable automated external defibrillators required in schools

Districts are required to maintain AEDs in all school buildings, including elementary school buildings and at "school-sanctioned athletics practices and competitions" under House Bill 169. An annual report must be submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education that proves compliance.

Public schools required to teach cursive

Under Senate Bill 167, elementary schools must teach cursive starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, with the goal of students becoming proficient in cursive by fifth grade. Common Core, the federal education initiative adopted in 2010, previously dropped cursive education.

New school transportation policies

Districts are required to create a transportation services policy, based on statewide guidelines, to keep students and vehicle operators safe. According to House Bill 446, the policy must include behavior standards for students using school transportation and the consequences if students violate those standards.

Kentucky rural veterinary student loan repayment program

House Bill 553 creates a student loan repayment program to motivate livestock veterinarians to practice in underserved or veterinary shortage areas. The program is open to veterinarians within ten years of graduating from veterinary school, owe at least $75,000 and agree to practice in underserved areas for at least five years. It provides up to $87,500 in loan forgiveness.

Endowed research trust fund

Senate Bill 1 creates a special fund to support research projects conducted by two or more Kentucky public universities. The Council on Postsecondary Education will administer the fund, and one of the first projects will be the Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Trust, which supports research at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.

Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @RebGrapevine. Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: New Kentucky 2024 education laws