Kentucky governor authorizes funding to fill unintended shortfall in state education funding

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear took action Thursday to fill an unintended shortfall in the state’s main funding source for K-12 schools, saying he wants to head off midyear cutbacks in school districts.

The Democratic governor said he authorized an additional $14.7 million in so-called SEEK funding for Kentucky’s 171 public school districts in the current academic year. That amount is meant to plug the shortfall within parts of the SEEK formula that are required by law to be paid to districts.

“It’s not right for our schools to face tough cuts in the middle of a school year,” Beshear said while announcing the funding decision at his weekly news conference.

State Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said the governor’s funding announcement was a “significant development for our public schools and cannot be overstated.”

“This action demonstrates what can be achieved for public schools and our students through collaborative efforts,” Fletcher said at the same event.

The Support Education Excellence in Kentucky, or SEEK, program includes a base per-pupil allocation, as well as additional funding for transportation costs and special-needs students.

Beshear’s action came days after state education leaders told a legislative panel that school districts would have to adjust their budgets in response to the shortfall in state funding.

The governor said Thursday that the budget bill passed by lawmakers last year permitted the state education commissioner to request the increased appropriation — if the required expenditures exceed initial estimates — and for the governor to approve those funds.

“We do have the funds to get this done, and thus I’ve approved that $14.7 million increase for our schools,” the governor said. “It won’t have any negative impacts on any other areas of the budget.”

Republican lawmakers have touted the amounts of education funding included in the budget, and said they relied on estimates from the state education department in determining the SEEK funding.

State House Speaker David Osborne on Thursday questioned Beshear’s action, saying: “The governor does not have the ability to appropriate money.” Osborne, a Republican, said he had not yet seen details on Beshear’s action but said he could not recall any budget language giving him such authority. Lawmakers continue to discuss whether to reopen the current budget to deal with SEEK funding, he told reporters.

Meanwhile, there’s an additional $26 million shortfall for funding to districts that should be paid if funds are available, state education officials told lawmakers this week. The education department is working with lawmakers on potential state support for those items that are conditioned on the availability of funds, Fletcher said Thursday.