Kentucky’s Failing

This trifecta is both disconcerting and disgusting. Kentucky’s high school students are failing. Our universities are crumbling. Our universities are also increasing tuition. Seperately, each is nauseating. Combined, these three are infuriating. Where is our Governor, who pledged commitment to education? Where is our leadership? Why are children and education not priorities?

Obviously, this is an election year. The Governor is busy. However, the listed deserve immediate attention. Governor Fletcher, our children are unprepared, our universities require money and they are pricing out prospective students. Where are you? Children are Kentucky’s future. If they cannot graduate or attend college, what is there future?

Governor, become involved.

Progress too slow for most Ky. schools

Only 37 percent of Kentucky schools are on track to reach academic proficiency by 2014 -- a goal that all public schools are supposed to meet by then. The new findings, released today, surprised and disappointed state board of education members. Board member Joe Brothers said the education system needs a cultural change within the next 12 months. "We are not fundamentally doing the right things," he said. "We have to do better."

The report showed that while many schools are making progress on statewide testing as part of the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, or CATS, those schools aren't improving fast enough.

Report: Ky. needs $12.5 billion for university facilities by 2020

Kentucky will need to spend $12.5 billion by 2020 to make sure all of its university facilities meet goals mandated by the state’s higher-education reforms of 1997, according to a study released Wednesday.

The study was conducted by three consultants for the state Council on Postsecondary Education. One of the major goals Kentucky faces is trying to double the number of residents with bachelor’s degrees from 400,000 now to 800,000 by 2020, under the 1997 higher-education reforms.

Panel approves final tuition increases for Kentucky universities

The state Council of Postsecondary Education approved the final group of tuition increases for Kentucky’s public universities for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Wednesday’s action included the University of Louisville and Kentucky State, Murray State, Northern Kentucky and Western Kentucky universities. On Jan. 29, the council approved tuition increases for the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Here is what an in-state student will pay at each institution for annual tuition and required fees, and the amount and percentage of the increase:

EKU: $5,682; $490; 9.4 percent.
KCTCS: $3,450; $180; 5.5 percent.
KSU: $5,320; $370; 7.5 percent
Morehead: $5,280; $410; 8.4 percent.
Murray: $5,418; $420; 8.4 percent.
Northern Kentucky: $5,952; $504; 9.3 percent.
UK: $7,199; $595; 9.0 percent.
U of L: $6,870; $618; 9.9 percent.
WKU: $6,416; $464; 7.8 percent.