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Kentucky Board of Education meets in Frankfort, makes leadership changes

The KBE met on Thursday and made some leadership changes.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WHAS11) -- The Kentucky Board of Education is making leadership changes as it meets in Frankfort on August 2.

The board elected Hal Heiner as its new chairman on Thursday morning. Some question whether Thursday’s vote was politically motivated.

Heiner ran against Governor Matt Bevin in the primary before serving as his Education and Workforce Development secretary.

He resigned from the role in April and was appointed to the board of education by Bevin.

One of the board members defended Heiner's election as chairman, saying it was not a political move. When asked about his election Heiner also shot down those allegations.

"I haven't heard the first mention of anything political or politics or some outside force that would direct. This is an independent board and I think you heard it this morning, a passion in the members on focusing on the needs of every child, to put the needs of that child at the top,” Heiner said.

Heiner is a supporter of charter schools and said he is looking into how charter schools can be a tool in bettering education in Kentucky.

The board did approve to move forward with the creation of a charter schools advisory council, saying regulations for charter schools are in place in the state. A funding mechanism has not yet been approved by the state legislature.

The moves come as families anxiously watch to see whether JCPS agrees to a settlement that may avoid a state takeover of the Commonwealth's largest school district.

JCPS is expected to announce next week whether it will accept the offer.

►Contact reporter Dennis Ting at dting@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@DennisJTing) and Facebook.

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