Kentucky Department of Education

Lu S. Young, vice chair of the Kentucky Board of Education, has been elected to the National Association of State Boards of Education Board of Directors. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ey4hx9Jg

The Kentucky Department of Education publicly released assessment and accountability data for the 2024-2025 school year, as required by state statute and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, showing students performed better in 2025 than they have in recent years across several grade levels and subjects. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eGBeF3Wi

A request for application for Fiscal Year 2026 KY Transition 360 SPARK grants has been posted. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eN7DQJuk

This week is National School Bus Safety Week! Each day, 8,795 school buses in Kentucky transport more than 385,000 students. Safety starts with our amazing school bus drivers and school bus aides. Thank you for keeping our students safe! And for drivers, if any school or church bus used in the transportation of children is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers, with the stop arm and signal lights activated, vehicles approaching from any direction must stop and wait until the bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put into motion. More resources on school bus safety can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ezzR75wk

On the Kentucky Teacher Bulletin Board: Ed Camp CKY is this Saturday at Frankfort High School! Learn more about the professional learning event: https://lnkd.in/eXPsnqi5

Congratulations to the 2025-2026 class of GoTeachKY Ambassadors! Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5wDiupg

Meet the heart behind Monroe County’s school meals program! Food Service Director John Petett, along with his incredible team of more than 40 school nutrition staff, serve more than 1,800 students a day across five schools with nutritious meals year-round. Petett has served in his role as child nutrition director for nearly 10 years. He said his mother worked in food service for 20 years and inspired him to pursue food service. Throughout his time in Monroe County, Petett has helped expand access to nutritious meals through the summer. He has made a tremendous impact by working to ensure the success of the Community Eligibility Program (CEP). Offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program, the CEP allows all of Monroe County’s schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to students. The school nutrition team in Monroe County is making huge steps to care for students by serving meals year-round, connecting to students daily and ensuring all students have access to healthy meals. For National School Lunch Week, they are hosting a creative menu day, a dress up day and interactive activities for prizes. From student-centered menus to actively listening to feedback, the Monroe County team’s passion shines through every tray! #NSLW25 #SchoolLunchHeroes #FeedingTheFuture

Happy National School Lunch Week! This week, we are stamping our “passport” by visiting Leah Feagin, child nutrition director at Mayfield Independent. Feagin has been on a mission to bring healthy meals to every corner of her district for more than 20 years! The School Meals Program she manages serves more than 261,000 lunches and 191,500 breakfasts annually. She’s been an integral part of expanding other Child Nutrition Programs in Mayfield, such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program, by serving more than 16,000 summer meals and securing Farm to School grants to provide local produce to students and improve kitchen equipment and signage. Feagin worked to lead crisis meal distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as during post-tornado recovery. She has served as the Kentucky School Nutrition Association’s Public Policy and Legislative Chair and is a past president for the organization. For National School Lunch Week, Mayfield Independent plans to celebrate with festive serving lines and special menu items. Morgan Jameson, food service assistant at Mayfield Independent, is dressing up as an actual walking taco! Please join us in thanking Leah Feagin for fueling students with nutritious meals and a taste of adventure! #NSLW25 #SchoolLunchHero #PassportToNutrition

Michelle Gross, a mathematics teacher at Spencer County Middle School, has been named the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year! Congratulations! Read more: https://lnkd.in/drSa3tNG

Introducing Nourish Kentucky, a new podcast from the Kentucky Department of Education's Division of School & Community Nutrition! Nourish Kentucky is a podcast dedicated to informing, inspiring and empowering child nutrition professionals and the public with clear, engaging insights into USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Episodes are hosted by members of the School Meal Programs Focus Group – an informal group that provides direct input to KDE – each episode explores real stories, expert perspectives and practical strategies that support student health and well-being across the Commonwealth. Listen now on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e87wJr8d