LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new bill is hoping to change the way members are appointed to Kentucky’s Board of Education.
Currently, board members are appointed by the governor.
However, a bill filed by Republican state Senator Mike Wilson would change that so they would become elected officials – meaning they would have to run under a party.
In a release, Wilson said “Each governor since KERA was implemented over three decades ago has leveraged and some might say abused their gubernatorial power with the Kentucky Board of Education. It’s time we returned the power to the residents of the commonwealth.”
Gov. Andy Beshear was asked during his weekly Team Kentucky news briefing about the possibility of electing board members.
“A partisan State Board of Education is a terrible idea,” he said. “I mean, to inject direct part partisanship into how people become a member – to bring them into this craziness that you see in those type of elections right now. We need them to be nonpartisan, serving each and every one of our kids.”
The bill would have two board members be elected from each of the state’s seven Supreme Court districts.
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