When education funding debates move into budget season, conversations often revolve around line items, percentages, and projections. For district superintendents, however, the implications are far more tangible. They are measured in teacher salaries, bus replacement schedules, classroom resources, and student services. This session’s budget conversation centers heavily on recurring revenue through the SEEK formula. While multiple targeted investments are under discussion, the clearest message emerging is the importance of the SEEK base and its connection to district stability. Why the SEEK Base Matters The SEEK base is not simply a number in statute. It is the primary recurring funding mechanism that districts rely on for sustainable planning. When the base increases meaningfully, districts gain the ability to invest in instruction, remain competitive in staff compensation, and address long-term workforce challenges. When it remains flat, the pressure shifts locally. Over time, districts have experienced diminished buying power relative to 2008 levels. Inflationary pressures and rising operational costs continue to compound that challenge. Without recurring revenue growth, districts absorb those increases within fixed budgets. The result is not theoretical. It is operational. A Local Example: Rockcastle County Schools A funding impact report shared this week illustrates how these pressures manifest at the district level . On page 1 of the report, Rockcastle County Schools documents a 26 percent decrease in purchasing power compared to 2008. Bus replacement costs increased significantly, with a single bus rising from $97,115 in 2021 to $154,702 in 2026. The district will purchase four buses at a total cost of $618,808. Insurance costs tell a similar story. General and property insurance increased from $168,977 in 2020 to $467,555 in 2025 . Instructional curriculum now totals $1.2 million annually, and even a limited Chromebook replacement cycle at select grade 0 levels requires $300,000 plus additional charger Y . These are not optional expenses. They are core operational realities. Transportation and Instructional Tradeoffs On page 3 of the same report, Rockcastle details the transportation impact specifically . Fully funding SEEK transportation using prior-year spring data would provide $413,906, nearly funding three of the four buses needed for the upcoming year. Over a ten-year period, the district estimates a $7,040,240 deficit resulting from transportation not being fully funded . When transportation funding falls short, districts must redirect general fund dollars to close the gap. That shift carries instructional consequences: delayed salary adjustments, postponed program investments, and limited capacity to address workforce shortages. Superintendents presenting to budget committees emphasized this dynamic clearly. One district reported being funded at roughly 74 percent of actual transportation cost, requiring approximately $900,000 to be covered locally. The instructional opportunity cost of that gap is real. Tier I and Geographic Equity The third recurring revenue lever under discussion is Tier I equalization. An increase from 17.5 percent toward 20 percent has been referenced as a way to strengthen equity across districts with varying property wealth. As described in the Rockcastle report on page 4 , recurring SEEK funding supports: Expanded mental health services Special education and intervention staffing School resource officers Student services such as counseling and food access Cost-of-living salary increases Rising instructional programming costs These needs do not fluctuate annually. They are ongoing, and they require stable funding. The Power of Telling the Story The most effective advocacy this week did not rely on abstract percentages. It relied on district-level numbers and clearly articulated tradeoffs. Transportation funded at 71 to 74 percent. Four buses costing over $600,000. Insurance increases of nearly $300,000 in five years. A decade-long transportation deficit exceeding $7 million. These details shift the conversation from policy theory to district consequence. Legislators consistently respond to local impact framed through data and student outcomes. When superintendents connect SEEK base increases to competitive salaries, to workforce retention along border states, to expanded mental health supports, the budget conversation becomes grounded in operational reality. Recurring Revenue Is the Stability Strategy Targeted investments have value. School safety, induction programs, and principal mentoring initiatives all matter. But recurring revenue remains the foundation. The SEEK base, fully funded transportation using current data, and equitable Tier I adjustments represent structural stability. They allow districts to plan beyond a single fiscal year. They protect classroom resources from operational volatility. They restore balance between state and local funding responsibility. At the center of this discussion is not a formula. It is stewardship. District leaders are tasked with protecting instructional quality, sustaining safe environments, and maintaining public trust. Recurring revenue allows them to do that with foresight rather than reaction. Moving Forward Budget negotiations will continue to evolve. Early signals suggest interest in raising the SEEK base and improving transportation funding. Final outcomes will depend on continued engagement and clear communication from district leaders. The most effective approach remains consistent: Present the numbers. Connect them to instruction. Explain the consequence of inaction. Reinforce the long-term return on investment. As the Rockcastle report concludes, the return on investment is not abstract. It is the future leaders of Kentucky communities . In this budget cycle, the SEEK base is more than a funding mechanism. It is the clearest signal of the Commonwealth’s commitment to sustaining strong, stable, and future-ready public schools.

The House budget proposal (HB 500) marks the beginning, not the end, of Kentucky’s budget process. Legislative leaders have been clear that this initial framework is a starting point, with the most important decisions to be shaped through the Budget Review Subcommittee process in the weeks ahead. There is no indication that the General Assembly intends to flatline education funding. To the contrary, the structure of the process signals a willingness to listen, examine, and refine. The task before Kentucky’s superintendents now is to help ensure that the final budget delivers meaningful, recurring investments, especially in the SEEK base, that align with the real operating demands of schools. Why SEEK Matters - And Why “Meaningful” Matters More SEEK is not just another line item. It is the foundation of every district’s operating budget and the primary source of recurring revenue used to support: Competitive educator salaries Classroom instruction Day-to-day operations that keep schools safe and functional As costs continue to rise, salary schedules advance, health insurance premiums increase, transportation expenses climb, districts depend on SEEK to keep pace. A nominal increase that does not meaningfully restore purchasing power may technically move the number, but it does not solve the underlying challenge districts face. That is why it is so important that SEEK base increases in the final budget are meaningful in both years of the biennium. One-time adjustments or front-loaded changes without sustained growth leave districts in the same structural position just one year later. The goal is not growth for its own sake. The goal is stability - recurring revenue aligned with recurring costs - so districts can plan responsibly, compete for educators, and sustain the academic progress Kentucky has made. Transportation: When Local Stories Make the Case One of the most effective ways to illustrate this reality is through local examples including pupil transportation. Whitley County Superintendent John Siler recently shared data that makes the issue unmistakably clear. While statewide SEEK transportation funding is proposed to decline by roughly 10 percent, the cost of replacing a single school bus in his district has increased by as much as $39,000 in just a few years. That gap is not theoretical. It forces real tradeoffs between safety, instruction, and staffing. This story is not unique to Whitley County. Districts across Kentucky, especially rural districts with long routes and aging fleets, face the same math. When transportation funding does not reflect actual costs, districts do not stop transporting students. They divert classroom dollars to cover the gap. That is why fully funding transportation using accurate, prior-year data is so important. It doesn’t create a new program. It unlocks local dollars currently being pulled away from instruction and salaries and returns them where they belong. The Power of Superintendent Voices in the Budget Process Statewide averages and aggregate numbers can only tell part of the story. What moves the conversation during the Budget Review process are clear, credible, district-level examples that connect funding decisions to real consequences. Superintendents are uniquely positioned to explain: What a meaningful SEEK increase would allow their district to sustain or improve How flat or insufficient growth affects local compensation decisions How transportation funding gaps force tradeoffs that no district wants to make These are not advocacy talking points. They are operational realities. When legislators hear how budget choices affect bus replacement schedules, staffing stability, or long-term planning in their communities, the conversation shifts from abstract debate to practical governance. A Clear Focus for the Weeks Ahead As the budget process moves forward in Frankfort, the message from districts should remain disciplined and consistent: Kentucky’s education recovery is real and nationally recognized. That progress is tied directly to smart policy and targeted investment. Sustaining it requires meaningful SEEK base increases in both years of the biennium, along with full transportation funding and continued attention to access and opportunity for every student regardless of geography. The House budget is a framework. The Budget Review Subcommittee process is the opportunity to ensure the final product reflects the real needs of Kentucky’s schools. Local stories, like Whitley County’s, are not outliers. They are the evidence policymakers need to align funding with reality. This is the moment for superintendents to engage, share their experiences, and help shape a final budget that reinforces what is working and positions Kentucky’s public schools for continued success.