Beshear authorizes funding to address Kentucky education department's estimated $40M SEEK shortfall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some relief is coming to the Kentucky Department of Education's unintended multimillion-dollar shortfall.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday his office will authorize $14.7 million in SEEK funding for the state's 171 public school districts this academic year.

The funding will fulfill the state's statutory requirements and not impact the current budgets of the state's school districts.

Last month, KDE Commissioner Robbie Fletcher warned the department is headed toward a $40 million shortfall in SEEK funding.

The Support Education Excellence in Kentucky, or SEEK, program includes a base per-pupil allocation to school districts, as well as additional funding for transportation costs and special-needs students.

Beshear's action came days after state education leaders told a legislative panel that school districts would have to adjust their budgets in response to the shortfall in state funding.

When answering questions before state lawmakers in Frankfort on Tuesday, Fletcher said KDE underestimated the size of these groups of students.

The governor said the budget bill passed by lawmakers last year permitted the state education commissioner to request the increased appropriation — if the required expenditures exceed initial estimates — and for the governor to approve those funds.

"We do have the funds to get this done, and thus I have approved the $14.7 million dollar increase for our schools," Beshear said Thursday during his weekly Team Kentucky press briefing. "It won't have any negative impacts on any other areas of the budget."

Republican lawmakers have touted the amounts of education funding included in the budget, and said they relied on estimates from the state education department in determining the SEEK funding.

Meanwhile, there's an additional $26 million shortfall for funding to districts that should be paid if funds are available, state education officials told lawmakers this week. The education department is working with lawmakers on potential state support for those items that are conditioned on the availability of funds, Fletcher said Thursday.

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