Kentucky Students to Host Public Hearing in Lexington on School Governance, School Boards & District Decision-Making After State Legislature Passes SB 4

As state leaders debated the future of public education governance, students across Kentucky are asking a critical question: Who holds decision-making power in our schools and how are students and communities represented in those decisions?

This question has taken on new urgency following recent legislative efforts to alter the structure of large district’s local school boards. The passage of Senate Bill 4 will result in structural changes to the Board of Education in Fayette County Public Schools and Jefferson County Public Schools. Students say these conversations underscore the need for greater public understanding of how authority is distributed across school boards, school councils, and district leadership—and how those decisions impact students’ daily experiences.

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) will convene a youth-led public hearing on school boards, school councils, and district decision-making at the Carnegie Center for Literacy in Lexington. The hearing is the fifth in a statewide series examining whether Kentucky is meeting its constitutional obligation to provide all students with an adequate and equitable education.

The hearing comes amid ongoing legal proceedings stemming from a historic lawsuit filed in January 2025 by KSVT and 13 student plaintiffs, arguing that the Commonwealth has failed to uphold the standards established in the landmark 1989 Rose v. Council for Better Education decision. That ruling defines an adequate education through seven required capacities, including the development of informed, engaged citizens capable of participating in democratic institutions. Students will argue that meaningful participation in school governance and transparency in decision-making are essential to fulfilling that constitutional promise.

During the hearing, high school student examiners will question expert witnesses on pressing issues facing Kentucky schools, including:

• What roles do school boards, school councils, and district leaders each play in shaping policy and decision-making?
• How can states and districts ensure that school boards remain accountable to the communities they serve?
• What are the potential impacts of shifting from elected to appointed school board members?
• How can students and families more meaningfully engage in local decision-making processes?
• Where have districts successfully implemented transparent, inclusive governance structures that elevate student voice?

Through testimony and follow-up questioning led by high school students, the hearing will surface local and statewide solutions to strengthen democratic governance in schools and ensure that decision-making structures truly serve the needs of all Kentucky students.‍

WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, 251 W 2nd St, Lexington, KY 40507 (Google Maps)
WHO/RSVP: The event is free and open to the public. Media and policymakers are especially encouraged to attend. Reserve a free ticket online here.

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About the Kentucky Student Voice Team

‍The Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) is an independent, statewide, 501(c)(3) organization co-founded in 2012 by a group of Kentucky high school students. As a collective of young people, KSVT is on a mission to co-create more just, democratic Kentucky schools and communities as research, policy-advocacy & storytelling partners.