Kentucky Students Defend Their Right to Be Heard in Groundbreaking Education Lawsuit

Frankfort, KY— This morning, in a courtroom filled with students from across the Commonwealth, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd heard oral arguments in Kentucky Student Voice Team v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, a lawsuit gaining national attention brought by young people demanding their constitutional right to an adequate and equitable education. The hearing focused on motions to dismiss filed by the state’s Attorney General and legislative leaders—motions that, if granted, would end the case before evidence can be considered.

Following the hearing, students filed out of the courthouse and led a press conference to share their reactions and recommit to their cause. Their central message: Kentucky students are directly impacted by education policy and deserve the right to challenge it in court.

“While we don’t yet know how the Court will rule, what we do know is that students across the Commonwealth are not getting the education our Constitution promises — and we deserve to be heard,” said Luisa Sanchez, a high school student from Boyle County, opening the press event. She added, “Let us be clear: Kentucky students will not be dismissed.”

Students described in detail the real-life impacts of underfunding and legislative overreach—sharing personal stories that echo the claims laid out in their legal complaint.

Bryan Xia, a junior at North Oldham High School, countered the claim that the defendants in the lawsuit are the incorrect targets, asserting that the complaint is meant to prompt policymakers at the state level to take action.

“This lawsuit isn’t about any individual teacher, school, or district. It’s about the system. We’re not blaming educators; we’re defending them because we see how hard they work every single day. They are being asked to do more with less, and students are paying the price,” Xia said.

The lawsuit, filed in January, argues that the Commonwealth is violating Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution, as interpreted in the landmark 1989 Rose decision. Students claim that decades of disinvestment, outdated materials, missing teachers and restricted curricula leave many without access to the education they are guaranteed under law.

Rather than defend the state’s education system on its merits, attorneys for the Commonwealth argued that students lack legal standing to bring the case at all. Judge Shepherd’s sharp questioning of that claim gave students a sense of hope.

“Kentucky has led the nation in education excellence before, and we can do it again,” said Ivy Litton, a high school student from Rowan County.

As the court deliberates, students will both continue to engage the public around their rights to an adequate education and continue to call on policymakers to support their fight for a system that honors both the letter and the spirit of the Kentucky Constitution.

‍About the Kentucky Student Voice Team

The Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) unites young people from across the state as partners in research, policy, and storytelling to build more just and democratic schools and communities. Since its inception in 2012, the team has engaged hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians in efforts to elevate student perspectives in education decision making at the school, district and state levels.