Devin Katayama

Mayor Greg Fischer says negotiations to reopen the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park are close to completion, but the parties involved remain silent about a possible lease.

The Kentucky Department of Education is planning to release data next month on the state’s alternative schools for the first time as they look to improve transparency and accountability for the population the schools serve.

Over 70,000 students are estimated to attend alternative programs in the state (which could include duplicate student numbers),  many of which are in specialized schools that range in services and purposes. 

Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign leaders say they plan to use the small eastern Kentucky city of Vicco as a model for grassroots movements pushing fairness ordinances in other cities.

Last week, Vicco became the fourth Kentucky city and the smallest city nationwide to adopt a fairness ordinance. The law protects all residents from discrimination regardless of sexual orientation, race, religion or age.

Lawmakers and educators who attended Kentucky’s special House Subcommittee on School Safety this week say they are pleased with results of the first meeting and the chairman says he plans to hold another meeting next week.

The temporary subcommittee was created by House Speaker Greg Stumbo, but a bill filed by subcommittee chair Rep. Richard Henderson, D-74, would make it permanent. The subcommittee was created in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last month.

Clarksville Community School Corp. is expected to join its neighboring districts in adopting a school resource officer (SRO) to improve student safety.

SROs have been used in southern Indiana school districts for years, but recently President Obama signed an executive order supporting the school safety option.

This was part of 23 executive orders Mr. Obama signed this week to increase gun and school safety.

The University of Louisville has received a $6 million gift that will be applied to its capital campaign and will be used for student scholarships.

Half the money is coming from the Henry Vogt Foundation and its president Henry C. Heuser Jr., which has been matched by other donors. U of L officials say it will now rename its Hallmark scholars program the Henry Vogt Scholarships.

Students with a GPA of 3.75 in high school and at least a 30 on the ACT or 1320 on the SAT can apply for the awards which includes full tuition and an annual $3,500 allowance.

Treasure Rogers is one of several Jefferson County Public Schools students who attended a school board forum last year. It was organized by two young education activists who just thought it would be cool to hold a forum in which students could participate.

“I asked a question and the candidates seemed like they really liked the question and they gave great feedback. So I’m like, how can we now act on it because you can’t change nothing if you just say it. You have to make actions to build upon for a change so how can I do that?” she says.

The Kentucky Department of Education is asking educators and others to weigh in on new science standards the state will likely adopt sometime this year.

Kentucky is one of 26 states that are helping craft the Next Generation Science Standards though the leading organization Achieve. The leading states are participating with the intent to adopt the standards that are expected to be published by the end of March.