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FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2025) — Lawmakers on the Interim Joint Committee on Education heard from Kentucky’s auditor of public accounts Monday about performance data from a recent Kentucky Department of Education review.
The 556-page report stems from a measure adopted in the 2024 legislative session. It called for a full fiscal controls and operational performance review of the KDE, spanning a four-year period from 2020 through 2024.
Auditor Allison Ball said the report is a product of “immense” work. Investigators looked at department operations, fiscal information, department strategy and partnerships, state board oversight, academic standards and the model curriculum framework, interscholastic athletics, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and preschool, Ball said.
“It was very, very broad. It needed to be broad because the KDE is big. It does a lot. It’s just very vast, and as far as anyone in the auditor’s office can remember, this is the first time a comprehensive audit like this has ever been done on the KDE,” she said.
Ball said the timing of the examination is good because the KDE is crafting a strategic plan and this will help the department’s staff accomplish the planning in an effective way.
To complete the examination, Ball’s staff conducted interviews, focus groups, surveys, school site visits, and benchmark comparisons against five peer states. Laws and regulations that impact the KDE were reviewed, and KDE leadership staff, superintendents and others offered input, Ball said.
Through the review, Ball said staff found the KDE lacks measurable benchmarks.
“And this is really, really important if you’re going to increase proficiency scores. If you’re going to tailor academic assessments for students, you need to have measurables. It’s very common to see language like “improve” or “increase.” And those are great words, but you need to have some measurable benchmarks in order to be able to figure out OK, are you meeting the goals that you need to meet?” she said.
Ball said the KDE could help improve the lives of students in several areas. Those include improved numeracy, additional school counselors and literacy coaches, enhanced suicide prevention efforts, efforts to ensure preschools are operating at the highest level possible, and efforts to curtail gang violence.
The auditor’s staff also found that consistent and comprehensive reviews should be completed at school districts. Around 43% of school districts have not had a completed comprehensive on-site monitoring within the last 10 years, according to the presentation.
Committee Co-Chair Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris, asked if the audit identified glaring discrepancies in fiscal policy or spending.
Ball said investigators identified some problems with processes, but not in relation to expenditures themselves.
“We didn’t find glaring problems. There was one area in particular that had to do with grants, that schools had to fill out some paperwork years and years and years ago. It had not been updated for a long period of time,” she said. “So, we don’t know for certain if they still qualify for those kinds of grants. So, there were some issues like that. We did not find big ticket, glaring problems other than the SEEK funding.”
Ball said the software used for tracking the budget could be improved.
Rep. Rachel Roarx, D-Louisville, said she has been working with Rep. Scott Sharp, R-Ashland, and the Engage and Empower Disability Caucus to spur resources for the Individualized Education Program (a collaborative document for special education services).
“Thank you for this report. I think it has definitely elevated a lot of really important needs and you’ve highlighted some of those, from the sexual assault prevention and awareness to our multilingual parents needing access to the special education dispute resolution forms as well as mental health,” she said.
Rep. Emily Callaway, R-Louisville, said she would like to see much more attention given to career and technical education programs and area technology centers. She said funding is paramount.
“I do want to reiterate: I appreciate you drawing attention to CTE and the ATC and the fact that they are not included in the strategic plan. That is really disconcerting to me,” she said.
Committee Co-Chair Rep. Scott Lewis, R-Hartford, thanked staff from the auditor’s office for their presentation.
“That was a lot to digest, and we probably will have more questions and be in contact with you then,” he said.
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