Legislation Alert: House Bill 520 to establish charter schools passed by Kentucky House Education Committee

Full House debating now

Today marks a notable move forward in the attempt to bring more school choice to Kentucky. House Bill 520, with amendments, received a favorable vote in the Kentucky House’s Education Committee this morning.

The discussion on the bill included highlights by several key Kentucky leaders including Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner, and Kentucky Board of Education member Pastor Milton Seymore in addition to those from the bill's sponsor, Kentucky Representative John (Bam) Carney.

Starting shortly after noon, the legislation is now being heard in the full Kentucky House.

Important late-breaking changes to the approved bill include the deletion of pure online charter schools and the addition of the mayors of Louisville and Lexington as authorizers.

If eventually adopted, House Bill 520 would make Kentucky the 44th state to have a charter school law.