2.12.2026

Kentucky Students to Host Public Hearing on Arts & Cultural Education in Danville Amid Ongoing Legal Proceedings Over Education Adequacy

Join the fourth in a series of student-led hearings set for Saturday, February 21 in Danville, Kentucky

According to the Kentucky School Report Card, one in five Kentucky students does not have access to a visual or performing arts class. As state leaders debate the future of public education, students are asking a simple but urgent question: What does an adequate education look like if creativity, culture and the arts are missing from their classrooms?

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) will convene a youth-led public hearing on access to arts and cultural education at Old Carnegie Hall at Centre College in Danville. The hearing is the fourth 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 an 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 Rose v. Council for Better Education decision.That ruling defines an adequate education through seven required capacities, one of which expressly includes sufficient grounding in the arts and cultural heritage to enable students to understand and participate in society. Students say this constitutional requirement has been sidelined in practice, even though it is inseparable from the broader goals of civic engagement, communication, and workforce readiness that Rose demands.

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

  • How can school districts and the General Assembly address the reality that 1 in 5 Kentucky students lacks access to arts education?
  • How can classrooms remain safe spaces for honest, meaningful conversations about history, culture, and identity?
  • Where have Kentucky districts—or states across the country—successfully built innovative, inclusive arts and cultural education programs?
  • How has arts education in Kentucky changed since the Kentucky Education Reform Act of the early 1990s, and where has progress stalled?

The hearing will feature testimony from expert witnesses, including:

  • Jane Dewey, Director of Arts Education, Danville Independent Schools
  • Paula Lockhart, Louisville-based Theatre Artist & Advocate
  • Heather Lyons, Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Office of the Mayor, City of Lexington
  • Philip Shephard, Executive Director, Kentuckians for the Arts
Jane Dewey has worked extensively in theater and arts education and is currently the director of arts education for the Danville Independent School District. In addition to working in arts education administration, Jane has taught theatre and directed/produced plays for schools and organizations including SCAPA, Berea College, the Richmond Area Arts Council and Centre College. Prior to moving to Kentucky, Jane worked as an actor, director, producer and writer. Jane serves on several boards and commissions for arts and civic organizations including the Kentucky Coalition for Arts Education (Facilitator), the Arts Center of the Bluegrass, and Kentuckians for the Arts. She is a Commissioner on the Danville Sister Cities Commission, and is a member of Citizens Concerned for Human Relations.
Paula Lockhart is an active theatre artist in the Louisville community. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from Wesleyan College in Theatre and Communication and an MFA from The University of Louisville. Prior to joining GSA as the Associate Director, she was the Assistant Manager of Visitor Services at The Muhammad Ali Center. An active educator, she teaches at Commonwealth Theatre Center (CTC) and Louisville’s only HBCU, Simmons College of Kentucky. Past performance credits include Bowling for Beginners, A Streetcar Named Desire, Fences, Polaroid Stories, A Molly Whuppie, Red Riding Hood, and This is Not The Play.
Heather Lyons is the Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs in the Mayor's Office at the City of Lexington. Heather serves as the community liaison and Project Manager for Public Art projects for Lexington. Heather also Heather also created and manages Art on the Town. She serves on the city’s Public Arts Commission, the Picnic with the Pops Commission, the Sister Cities Commission, the Advocacy Comm. of Kentuckians for the Arts and the 250LEX Commission in 2025. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Staff, Heather served as Executive Director of the Living Arts & Science Center (LASC), Individual Artist Program Director with the Kentucky Arts Council, and many other regional arts organizations.
Philip Shepherd is the Executive Director for Kentuckians for the Arts. He is a former music teacher in Rowan County Schools and Fayette County Schools; state Arts and Humanities Consultant and Branch Manager for the Academic Core Branch at Kentucky Department of Education (KDE); teacher in the KET online Distance Learning program; and Project Director for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards.

Through testimony and follow-up questioning led by high school students, the hearing will surface local solutions to ensure every Kentucky student has access to a rich, well-rounded education that includes the arts.‍

WHEN: Saturday, February 21, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Old Carnegie Hall, Centre College, 600 W Walnut St., Danville, KY 40422 (Google Maps)
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.

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