The lawsuit argues Kentucky has failed to fulfill its mandatory role in providing a quality public education to all students. The suit points to a number of statistics — from declining literacy skills to mental health crises to limited arts availability.
A coordinator with the Kentucky Student Voice Team noted the right to a quality education was clarified in the 1989 Rose v. Council for Better Education decision, adding that its promises have "gone unfulfilled for far too many Kentucky students." The plaintiffs say they're seeking to hold the state accountable.
The Student Voice Team is also a planning a year-long series of public hearings to gather input and craft recommendations.
Full info here: https://www.ksvt.org/rose
The stats cited include:
- Declining literacy skills: Only 41% of Kentucky 8th graders are proficient or above in reading. (2023-24 Kentucky Summative Assessment)
- Lack of civics education: Kentucky is one of just 11 states without a civics course requirement, leaving students unprepared to engage in government processes and civic life. (2023 Committee for Economic Development)
- Mental health crises: In 2023, nearly 1 in 5 (18.6%) of Kentucky high school students reported seriously considering taking their own lives. (Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2023) Yet many Kentucky schools lack adequate counseling resources, with some schools having no counselors at all.
- Limited Arts Availability:18.5% of Kentucky schools report offering no visual or performing arts class of any kind. (2023 Kentucky School Report Card)
- Severe academic disparities: There are vast differences in achievement between Kentucky districts, in many cases of over 70 percentage points. (2023 Kentucky School Report Card)
