Kentucky education officials report $14.7 million SEEK shortfall, urge close monitoring

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 11, 2025)

Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner Robert L. Fletcher told the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development that KDE's SEEK (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky) final estimate for fiscal year 2025 shows a $14.7 million statutorily required shortfall and about $40.5 million when including items listed in budget language "if funds are available." "This is a separate conversation. This is about how we come up with that number for SEEK that goes in the budget," Fletcher said, adding the SEEK estimate is a "very sophisticated modeling process."

The shortfall, Fletcher and KDE staff said, results from several factors that were underestimated in the fall 2023 projections used to build the budget. KDE's presentation to the committee cited larger-than-expected student growth in some districts, steep increases in exceptional-child (special education) counts, and swings in property value assessments as leading contributors to the gap. "I think in the, over history, I think it's been a shortfall 5 times. And I think this year, we find ourselves in about a 14,700,000.0 dollar shortfall," Fletcher said.

KDE officials emphasized the SEEK figure they presented is a net number that reflects both required payments and additional items that budget language says should be paid if funds are…