The Boone County Board of Education voted to rejoin the Northern Kentucky Education Council (NKEC) after a lengthy discussion about the council's services, scholarships and the wording of a membership invoice.

Board member Karen Wolf, who requested reconsideration, said she reviewed correspondence, attended an NKEC convening and concluded the council provides region-wide supports Boone County could not replicate at similar cost. Wolf highlighted the council's trained 1-to-1 reading program, career and technical education supports and scholarship-management work and said undertaking the same work in-house would likely exceed the $10,000 membership fee.

Dr. Randy Poe, the NKEC executive representative who attended the meeting, told trustees that within Boone County the program currently operates at Burlington Elementary, North Point Elementary, Stevens and Collins elementary schools and that the council maintains a network of roughly 30 volunteer coaches and several professional development sessions for those volunteers.

Several trustees raised earlier concerns about the appearance of invoicing for tickets to a dinner and a lack of specific answers when the board first considered membership in July. Trustee comments emphasized both vendor scrutiny and the potential benefits: one board member said the original invoice wording created an "appearance of impropriety," while others said updated documentation and a clearer accounting of services addressed those concerns.

Board members and NKEC staff agreed to change invoice language going forward and to increase district efforts to submit more student and teacher nominations for NKEC awards and scholarships. Dr. Poe said the council extended award application deadlines to accommodate rejoining districts and encouraged Boone County principals to submit nominees.

Chairman Parks called the motion and the board approved rejoining the NKEC. The board directed staff to coordinate with the council on application submission and to ensure future invoices more clearly reflect services and membership benefits.

What happens next: the board directed the superintendent and staff to work with NKEC to register Boone County schools for the cited programs and to monitor participation and outcomes.