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KCTCS sets up emergency student funds and shelters after severe Kentucky flooding
Summary
Kentucky Community and Technical College System officials said they have opened emergency student funds and are using campus facilities as shelters after severe statewide flooding damaged multiple campuses, while the full scope of student impact remains uncertain.
Dr. Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), told the House budget review subcommittee that multiple KCTCS campuses sustained facility damage and the system has begun emergency support for displaced staff and students.
Quarles said KCTCS has set up fundraising efforts targeted at Big Sandy, Hazard and Southeast campuses and established an emergency fund to help students return to class. "We're going to do everything possible to make sure that this disaster does not get in the way between you and stepping across stage on graduation day," he said.
The KCTCS president said exact counts of affected students are still uncertain. He said some KCTCS campuses are serving as shelters: the Hazard (Lee) campus in Breathitt County is being used as a shelter and the Mayo campus in Johnson County is coordinating with the American Red Cross. "We have a hundred bed shelter in operation, as of Wednesday," Quarles said.
Nut graf: KCTCS, which Quarles described as the state's largest postsecondary education provider, said immediate priorities are ensuring the safety and continuity of instruction for displaced students and staff while assessing longer-term facility repairs.
In his remarks Quarles described KCTCS's statewide footprint and student profile to explain the system's emergency response capacity: 16 colleges, roughly 70 campuses, and a large share of Kentucky undergraduates rely on the system. He noted many students are working while enrolled and that wraparound supports—food, housing, mental-health services—remain critical to retention and completion.
The system is coordinating internal and external resources to stabilize affected campuses and provide financial assistance. Quarles invited committee members to contact KCTCS if they have specific questions about student support or campus operations.
Ending: Quarles closed his flood update before moving to other agenda items; the subcommittee did not take formal action on disaster funding during the meeting.
