Frankfort Update: How This Session Connects to EducateNKY’s Priorities

March 26, 2026 – As the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly session moves forward, EducateNKY is tracking a number of bills that connect directly to our legislative priorities and long-term vision for Northern Kentucky. Our focus remains consistent: strengthen kindergarten readiness, build stronger educator pipelines, expand opportunities for students through out-of-school time and career-connected learning, and create more room for innovation in public education.

Several bills this session align meaningfully with that agenda.

On early learning, HB 6, SB 191, and SJR 54 all reinforce the idea that kindergarten readiness should be a central organizing goal for the Commonwealth. HB 6 proposes broad modernization of Kentucky’s child care and early learning system, including quality standards, new licensing models, and stronger public reporting. SB 191 would create a pilot that rewards child care providers for improving children’s readiness for kindergarten. SJR 54 supports efforts to expand enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an important early literacy strategy that helps families build strong foundations before children ever enter a classroom. Together, these proposals reflect the kind of prenatal-to-five alignment ENKY has called for in our legislative framework.

On teacher talent and school leadership, HB 759, SB 22, and SB 4 speak directly to a second major ENKY priority: strengthening the educator pipeline and making the profession more accessible and sustainable. HB 759 updates Kentucky’s alternative certification structure and could make it easier to bring talented educators into high-need areas. SB 22 supports a grow-your-own strategy by allowing students in approved teacher apprenticeship pathways to access dual credit scholarship support while still in high school. SB 4 would create a new practicum-based model for principal preparation, investing in stronger school leadership over time. These are the kinds of policy shifts that can help regions like Northern Kentucky recruit, prepare, and retain the talent needed to improve outcomes.

We are also encouraged by legislation that could expand student opportunity beyond the traditional school day and beyond traditional delivery models. HB 686 is especially notable because it would create a statewide Positive Youth Development Commission and trust fund that could help communities secure support for out-of-school time, mentoring, and prevention initiatives. For ENKY, that matters because we know students build skills not only in classrooms, but also through coordinated enrichment, trusted adult relationships, and strong youth-serving ecosystems.

Finally, SB 263 is one of the clearest examples of legislation that connects to ENKY’s innovation agenda. The bill would streamline the waiver process, create an expedited pathway for districts pursuing new approaches, and establish a Schools of Innovation pilot fund. That is especially relevant in Northern Kentucky as local leaders continue exploring how flexibility, collaboration, and redesigned school models can better serve students, particularly in the urban core. ENKY has consistently advocated for policies that reward innovation, remove outdated barriers, and support cross-district collaboration when it leads to better results for young people.

Other bills we are watching, including HB 513 on full-day kindergarten and HB 661 on school employee housing, also reflect practical policy conversations about what it takes to support children early and attract the workforce schools need. While each bill differs in scope and likely impact, together they show that many of the issues ENKY has prioritized are now part of the broader state conversation.

As session continues, we will keep monitoring legislation through the lens of ENKY’s core principles: helping children start strong, ensuring students build skills through aligned systems and strong partnerships, and creating the conditions for young people to own their future.