4-14-21
Hancock County Families,
Kentucky Senate Bill 128 has been signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear. This bill, also referred to as SB 128 and known by some as the “do-over” bill, allows K-12 students currently enrolled in public or non-public schools to request to use the 2021-2022 school year as a supplemental year. The bill does not allow for students to take any NEW courses with the exception of some career and technical classes.
SB 128 does not replace retention conversations that take place at schools regarding specific students. We are currently evaluating potential student retention at each school.
Our school district wants to take this opportunity to share some of the facts related to this bill so you can make an informed decision about whether you would choose to have your child request to use the retake year. These requests must be submitted to our central office by Friday, April 30th , 2021.
Our school district will make a decision at the May 27, 2021 board meeting on whether to approve all or none of the SB 128 requests. School districts are not allowed to approve requests on an individual basis. The decision will not have any impact on traditional retention of students that occur in a given year.
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Students may retake classes from prior year. *Note: A senior who has the required credits to graduate will still graduate but is eligible for the retake year.
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Students will be returning to school with a new class of students as the vast majority of students in their grade will be promoted. Students will not be allowed to take NEW courses. Graduates who receive a diploma will have no academic benefit to return at least in terms of GPA, reconsideration for academic scholarships, etc. The transcript will reflect the re-take but only for informational purposes. For underclassmen, students can only retake courses from 2020-21 year. For all retakes for underclassmen, the retake grade will replace and be the final grade for the student.
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Students may participate in extracurricular activities as long as they meet KHSAA age and other eligibility requirements.
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If a high school student is 19 before August 1st of 2021, they will be ineligible for KHSAA sports during the 2021-22 school year. If a middle school student is 15 before August 1st of 2021, they will be ineligible for middle school sports during the 2021-22 school year.
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Students may be able to complete career technical certifications which they were unable to complete during the 2020-21 school year. (examples include welding and nursing)
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The number and types of requests would need to be assessed by the district in terms of resources, staffing, and facility/space availability. Graduates will not qualify for dual credit scholarships and will be required to pay full price for any dual credit class that are taken.
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In order for the district to address student needs in the areas of staff, schedule, and curriculum, we need to know the students who are considering this option. If you are interested in learning more about this option and how to sign up, please contact your school guidance counselor to set up an appointment to meet for further discussion. Informational meetings will need to take place between April 19-April 29. If you believe this may be something you are interested in pursuing, please contact your child’s school counselor to set up an appointment to meet and discuss this option in greater detail.
Sincerely,
Kyle Estes