The Kentucky Department of Education is currently working on regulations for the implementation of KY House Education Chair Bam Carney’s charter school legislation, H.B. 520, which was recently signed into state law.

Kentucky’s charter school implementation framework is being developed and authorizer applications will follow in January 2018, so Carney expects that the first charter schools will open at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

While Kentucky’s new charter school processes are being developed, there’s plenty of work that can – and should – be done in terms of early planning:

New charter school developers eager to be among the first to launch schools have no time to waste in terms of planning and applying for federal grants that help support success.

Now is the time to begin the process of developing new school education plans to ensure compliance. This will certainly be an essential component of the new school application and will serve as a key component of contracts between school boards and authorizers.

Preliminary budgets that reflect enrollment targets and other details essential to success should also be an early priority.

Developing marketing plans and student enrollment materials to meet the needs of the desired neighborhoods and families is critical to the school’s success.

Establishing community advocacy and support to effectively recruit highly skilled and talented individuals to serve as board members are also essential steps that should be immediately addressed.

Authorizers will develop processes for accepting and evaluating new school applications. Authorizers must set and communicate clear expectations of increasing student performance and closing the achievement gaps for all schools authorized, and then will work to hold schools accountable to these goals and expectations through monitoring and assessment processes.

There is a lot to be done, and as the 44th state to welcome charter schools to its communities, Kentucky has few local experts who have dedicated their career to this important work. But Kentucky authorizers and charter school operators need look no further than Adkins & Company for strong support in the areas of authorizer and governance services, as well as new school development consultation.

With nearly 50 collective years of diverse relevant experience, Adkins and Company associates are well positioned to contribute to authorizer, operator and board success as Kentucky welcomes the rich educational opportunities that quality charter schools can bring to its system of K-12 public education.

There’s no time like the present – learn more about Adkins & Company and how our associates can support your schools’ success as the 2018-2019 school year rapidly approaches.

Let’s get started!

Learn more online at http://www.adkinsandcompany.com or call us today at 502-512-0202!