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House passes bill to expand options for Kentucky schools to make up lost classroom time

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kentuckylantern.com – McKenna Horsley – 2025-02-21 10:52:00

House passes bill to expand options for Kentucky schools to make up lost classroom time

by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky Lantern
February 21, 2025

Despite a handful of Republicans voting no, the Kentucky House passed a measure that would expand options for public school districts that have lost instructional time to weather closures and other reasons, including recent statewide flooding. 

If House Bill 241 becomes law, Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher would be authorized to grant up to five “disaster relief student attendance days” when schools could provide instruction without having students in the classroom. Fletcher could also waive five required days for a district if making up the instruction would keep schools in session past June 4.

Rep. Timmy Truett (LRC Public Information)

The Hose approved the bill Friday morning by a vote of 82-7. Earlier this week, floods swept over all of Kentucky’s 120 counties and snow and cold temperatures soon followed. Gov. Andy Beshear has said 15 people have died from the weather in recent days. 

The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Timmy Truett, R-McKee, said Fletcher told him that as of Friday morning, 64 of the state’s 170 public school districts had used their 10 allotted non-traditional instruction (NTI) days. Another 40 districts have one NTI day remaining.

Truett, an elementary school principal, had previously acknowledged in a House committee that virtual learning is “not as good as in-seat instruction,” but argued “it does beat the alternative.” 

“We’re trying to make a bad situation as good as possible,” Truett said on the House floor. 

During NTI days, students participate in virtual learning at home. Even before the most recent flooding, some schools had used NTI days for  bad winter weather or sickness. Kentucky law requires school districts to provide 170 student attendance days and offer a minimum of 1,062 instructional hours.

Rep. Tina Bojanowski (Photo by LRC Public Information)

Other avenues for school districts in the House bill include districts lengthening school days. Local school boards may also revise their calendars and submit plans to the Kentucky Department of Education for approval.

Rep. Tina Bojanowski, an elementary school teacher and Democrat from Louisville, voted for the bill and also said, “I’m going to tell you, the most important thing we can do is have children in the building, in their seats, in classrooms, and there is no exception for that, nothing virtual, nothing at home,” she said.

Among Republicans voting against the bill, Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, said the measure was “extraordinarily well-intended,” but he had “concerns about the level of discretion being given on this issue.”

Rep. Felicia Rabourn, R-Turners Station, filed House Bill 737 which would eliminate NTI days. She voted against Truett’s bill Friday.

House Bill 241 now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

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News from the South - Kentucky News Feed

Immigration drives population growth in Kentucky in 2024

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kentuckylantern.com – The Daily Yonder – 2025-04-24 04:50:00

by The Daily Yonder, Kentucky Lantern
April 24, 2025

Thanks to The Daily Yonder’s Sarah Melotte for providing Kentucky’s Census data to the Lantern.

Kentucky’s population grew in 2024, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. And over 80% of that growth was due to the migration of people from other countries.

Migration to rural America resulted in population growth last year, census shows

The Census makes yearly estimates of population changes at the state and county level. Here are five items to note from the report on 2024:

Kentucky added a net 37,777 people last year, an increase of .8%. At the end of last year, Kentucky had a population of 4,588,372, according to the Census.Kentucky had more deaths (53,140) than births (52,248) in 2024. That loss was made up by a net increase in domestic migration of 7,294 people. (More people moved into Kentucky from other states than moved out.) The largest contributor to Kentucky’s population growth was international migration. The state gained 31,430 people in the net exchange of people between Kentucky and other countries. Over 80% of the net gain in Kentucky’s population came from international migration. Of Kentucky’s 120 counties, 38 lost population in 2024. A large number of these are places that have been dependent on coal mining.The state’s two largest counties (Jefferson and Fayette) both had decreases in domestic migration, but gained population overall because of international migration. For example, Jefferson lost just over 4,600 people to domestic migration, but gained 13,807 people from other counties. (Counties surrounding these two metro counties gained from domestic migration; some of that growth likely came from moving out of the large metro counties.)

The 2024 report is a snapshot of population trends. And in many ways, Kentucky is like the rest of the nation. For example, most of the population growth in the U.S. in 2024 was due to international migration.

Top 10 counties in increase in absolute population, percent increase

Louisville from across the Ohio River just after sunset. (Getty Images)

Jefferson, 1.3%Fayette, 1.5%Warren, 2.8%Boone, 1.9%Kenton, 1.5%Madison, 2.0%Scott, 1.8%Jessamine, 1.8% Bullitt, 0.9%Nelson, 1.5%

Top 10 counties in decrease in absolute population, percent loss

Pikeville is the county seat of Pike County. (explorekywildlands.com)

Pike, -1.0%Floyd, -1.3%Perry, -1.3%Letcher, -1.3%Harlan, -1.0%McCreary, -1.4% Martin, -2.1%Christian, -0.3%Knott, -1.6%Larue, -1.3%

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Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

The post Immigration drives population growth in Kentucky in 2024 appeared first on kentuckylantern.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article appears to be a neutral, data-driven presentation of Kentucky’s population growth, highlighting the impact of both international migration and domestic migration. The content focuses on factual information, such as population statistics and county-specific migration trends, without introducing political rhetoric or ideological stances. While the mention of international migration could potentially spark differing political views, the article does not advocate for any particular position or policy regarding immigration. It simply presents the Census data in a straightforward manner, making it centrist in tone and content.

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U.S. Education Department to restart defaulted student loan collections

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kentuckylantern.com – Shauneen Miranda – 2025-04-21 19:52:00

by Shauneen Miranda, Kentucky Lantern
April 21, 2025

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education said Monday that it will resume collections May 5 for defaulted federal student loans.

After pausing during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has not collected on defaulted loans in over five years. More than 5 million borrowers sit in default on their federal student loans, and just 38% of borrowers are current on their payments, the department said.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Monday.

During last year’s presidential campaign, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor and successor, President Joe Biden, for his efforts to erase student debt. McMahon resumed that line of attack Monday, blaming Biden’s administration for unreasonably raising borrowers’ expectations of forgiveness.

“The Biden Administration misled borrowers: the executive branch does not have the constitutional authority to wipe debt away, nor do the loan balances simply disappear. Hundreds of billions have already been transferred to taxpayers,” McMahon said.

She added that “going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook.”

The department said the Office of Federal Student Aid will restart the Treasury Offset Program, which the U.S. Treasury Department administers, on May 5.

The Education Department statement said all borrowers who are in default will get emails over the next two weeks “making them aware of these developments and urging them to contact the Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation.”

The department said the Office of Federal Student Aid will “send required notices beginning administrative wage garnishment” later this summer.

More than 42.7 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student debt, according to the department. 

The administration claims that “instead of protecting responsible taxpayers, the Biden-Harris Administration put them on the hook for irresponsible lending, pushing the federal student loan portfolio toward a fiscal cliff.” 

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

The post U.S. Education Department to restart defaulted student loan collections appeared first on kentuckylantern.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Assessment: Center-Right

The content primarily reflects a Center-Right political bias, as it focuses on the resumption of federal student loan collections and criticizes the previous administration’s attempts to implement student debt forgiveness. The statements made by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlight a commitment to fiscal responsibility and emphasize the idea that taxpayers should not bear the burden of student loan defaults. Additionally, the language used aligns with conservative viewpoints that prioritize personal responsibility and criticize government overspending. The framing of the Biden administration’s actions as misleading further underscores a critical stance typical of a Center-Right perspective.

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Kentucky safe teen driving competition gives participants more than just a cash prize

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Kentucky safe teen driving competition gives participants more than just a cash prize

www.youtube.com – FOX 56 News – 2025-04-21 18:43:56

SUMMARY: The Kentucky Safe Teen Driving Challenge aims to promote safe driving habits among teens, coinciding with new regulations allowing 15-year-olds to take permit tests. Inspired by a similar program in Missouri, the competition culminated in the announcement of winners, including grand prize winner Emily Emerson, who received $2,000. Despite being an experienced driver, Emerson faced challenges on the road, such as aggressive drivers and traffic violators. In light of the concerning statistics—13,000 injuries and 210 deaths from teen driving crashes in Kentucky over three years—state leaders emphasize the importance of safe driving and adherence to traffic laws.

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A new statewide competition focused on teen road safety came to Kentucky, and prize winners say they walked away with more than cash prizes.

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