(1) The board of regents of Eastern Kentucky University shall operate, maintain, and serve as the fiscal agent for a model and practice school which shall be an educational laboratory school under the supervision of thoroughly trained and certified education professionals for the purpose of piloting and testing kindergarten through high school educational pedagogies, practices, programs, assessments, and innovations to further the educational mission of the Commonwealth.
(2) The model and practice school shall:
(a) Be a university-operated public school under the governance of the Eastern
Kentucky University board of regents that is separate from any school district; (b) If confirmed by the board of regents, serve as a local education agency for the
purposes of federal programs;
(c) Be subject to all statutes and regulations applicable to any other subdivision of the university, and to those statutes and regulations identified in this section or those relating to health, safety, and civil rights that are applicable to school districts;
(d) Enroll students in grades kindergarten through twelve (12), from any district in the Commonwealth, in compliance with the university’s nondiscrimination policy and in alignment with the school’s research objectives;
(e) Ensure students meet compulsory attendance requirements under KRS
158.030 and 158.100;
(f) Ensure high school course offerings meet or exceed the minimum high school requirements established pursuant to KRS § 156.160;
(g) Participate in the assessment and accountability system under KRS Chapter
158 in the same manner as a school district and be rated and reported in the same manner as a school district;
(h) Use the same system for recording student information data as utilized by local school districts across the state in the same manner as a school district;
(i) Be subject to the same statutes requiring or authorizing criminal background checks and clear CA/N checks as specified in KRS § 160.380 and KRS § 161.148 in the same manner as a school district;
(j) Provide instructional time that is at least equivalent to the student instructional year specified in KRS § 158.070;
(k) Be eligible to participate in the education technology funding program under the same conditions as a district under KRS § 157.655 and KRS § 157.665;
(l) Provide sufficient data to the Department of Education to generate school report cards under KRS § 158.6453;
(m) Unless otherwise prevented by state or federal law, be eligible to apply for or participate in any state grant programs offered to school districts;
(n) Be eligible to participate in alternative educator certification, educator rank change, and educator internship programs in the same manner as a school
district; and
(o) Be eligible to participate in state-sponsored interscholastic athletics, academic programs, competitions, awards, scholarships, and recognition programs for students, educators, administrators, and schools to the same extent, and subject to the same conditions, as any other public school or individual.
(3) The board of regents shall adopt model and practice school policies to:
(a) Develop and identify the research objectives to be conducted in the school that shall respond to the education needs within the Commonwealth and may be coordinated with the Department of Education, the Education Professional Standards Board, other academic colleges at Eastern Kentucky University, other universities or state agencies, or as directed by the General Assembly;
(b) Govern the conduct of research at the school by the university and other research partners;
(c) Establish tuition and fees, if any, for student enrollment. The policy shall include that no student who would qualify under federal law for free or reduced-price lunch shall be required to pay fees and no student shall be required to pay additional tuition or fees for exceptional education services;
(d) Establish enrollment guidelines that reflect the school’s research objectives and may include a maximum enrollment cap of students residing in a local school district through an agreement entered into with the district’s local board of education;
(e) Provide for the operation and management of the school, which shall include establishing the guidelines for the selection, implementation, and procurement of instructional programs, resources, materials, technology, and textbooks; and
(f) Issue high school diplomas to students who meet the state graduation requirements established pursuant to KRS § 156.160.
(4) The Eastern Kentucky University board of regents shall establish a model and practice school advisory council to provide general oversight and guidance for the operation of the school.
(a) The advisory council shall be composed of:
1. The superintendent of the school, who shall serve as chair;
2. One (1) member who shall be a faculty member working at the school;
3. Two (2) members who shall be faculty working outside of the school;
4. Two (2) members who shall be residing in counties in which students attending the school reside;
5. Two (2) members who shall be parents of students attending the school;
and
6. One (1) member who shall be a secondary student at the school.
(b) Other than the superintendent, all members of the advisory council shall be appointed by the president of the university for two (2) year terms beginning on July 1 and any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner for the balance
of the unexpired term.
(c) The council shall annually elect a vice chair at the first meeting of the school year.
(d) Council members shall not receive a per diem for their service but may be reimbursed for travel related expenses according to policies adopted by the board of regents.
(e) The council shall advise the superintendent, president, and board of regents on matters relating to the function of the school and shall:
1. Meet at least quarterly;
2. Review and provide feedback on the strategic plan of the school;
3. Review and provide feedback on the results of student performance, programs and initiatives, and the implementation of the strategic plan;
4. Provide recommendations on programming and research; and
5. Provide feedback to the president on the performance of administrative team members of the school.
(5) The average daily attendance of the students attending the model and practice school shall be included in the average daily attendance of the students’ districts of residence for the purpose of determining equalization under KRS § 157.440(1)(a) and (b) and KRS § 157.621. The Department of Education shall also grant a district of residence a deduction for each of the district’s students attending the model and practice school that adjusts the calculation under KRS § 157.390(5) of the district’s amount of local tax revenues generated for school purposes.
(6) The superintendent of the model and practice school and the commissioner of education shall collaborate on the identification of research initiatives for the model and practice school that may be relevant to the Commonwealth.
(7) All personnel of the model and practice school shall be university employees and shall be hired and employed subject to the university’s policies and procedures.
(8) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the superintendent or other model and practice school personnel from serving in other roles within the university. School personnel shall possess appropriate certifications and licenses as determined by the Education Professional Standards Board. However, school personnel shall be subject to the university’s promotion, compensation, and tenure policies and other personnel policies adopted by the board of regents.
Effective: July 15, 2020
History: Amended 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 66, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2020. — Recodified
1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 4527-
50.