Kentucky HB 621: AN ACT relating to child care.

Bill Text

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AN ACT relating to class sizes for exceptional children and youth. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 157.220 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) The Department of Education is hereby designated as the agency for cooperation 4
with the state and federal government agencies, the nonpublic school programs and 5
local schools of Kentucky in carrying out the provisions of KRS 157.200 to 6
157.290[157.280]. 7
(2) The Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate[make] necessary 8
administrative[rules and] regulations in accordance[keeping] with[ the provisions 9
of] KRS 157.200 to 157.290[157.280 for their proper administration], including but 10
not limited to establishment of classes, eligibility and admission of pupils,[ the] 11
curriculum, class size and caseload limitations in accordance with subsection (3) 12
of this section, housing, special equipment, and instructional supplies. 13
(3) In providing special education services for the exceptional children and youth 14
specified in subsection (3)(a) to (m) of Section 2 of this Act: 15
(a) The maximum class size for special classes for students with the following 16
conditions shall be limited to: 17
1. Eight (8) students with autism; 18
2. Ten (10) students with a developmental delay; 19
3. Eight (8) students with an emotional-behavioral disability; 20
4. Ten (10) students with a functional mental disability; 21
5. Six (6) students with a hearing impairment; 22
6. Fifteen (15) students with a mild mental disability; 23
7. Ten (10) students with multiple disabilities; 24
8. Sixteen (16) students with an orthopedic impairment; 25
9. Sixteen (16) students with an other health impairment; 26
10. Ten (10) students in kindergarten to grade five (5) and fifteen (15) 27

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 621/GA
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students in grades six (6) to twelve (12) with a specific learning 1
disability; and 2
11. Ten (10) students with a visual disability; 3
(b) The maximum caseloads for teachers of special classes shall be as follows: 4
1. Fifteen (15) students with autism; 5
2. Fifteen (15) students with a developmental delay; 6
3. Fifteen (15) students with an emotional-behavioral disability; 7
4. Ten (10) students with a functional mental disability; 8
5. Eight (8) students with a hearing impairment; 9
6. Fifteen (15) students in kindergarten to grade five (5) and twenty (20) 10
students in grades six (6) to twelve (12) with a mild mental disability; 11
7. Ten (10) students with multiple disabilities; 12
8. Twenty (20) students with an orthopedic impairment; 13
9. Twenty (20) students with an other health impairment; 14
10. Fifteen (15) students in kindergarten to grade five (5) and twenty (20) 15
students in grades six (6) to twelve (12) with a specific learning 16
disability; and 17
11. Ten (10) students with a visual disability; 18
(c) For speech-language pathologists the caseload limitations in KRS 334A.190 19
shall apply; 20
(d) Special classes containing more than one (1) disability category shall use 21
the category of the majority of students in the class to determine the 22
maximum class size established in paragraph (a) of this subsection; 23
(e) Two (2) students above the maximum class size established in paragraph (a) 24
of this subsection may be added to a class if a paraprofessional is present; 25
(f) If a teacher of exceptional children and youth provides services through the 26
collaborative model, the maximum caseload shall not exceed twenty (20) 27

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students in grades six (6) to twelve (12) and fifteen (15) students in 1
kindergarten to grade five (5); 2
(g) If a teacher of exceptional children provides services through a 3
combination of collaboration and special classes, the maximum caseload 4
shall not exceed those established in paragraph (b) of this subsection; 5
(h) Teachers of special classes who are assigned student records of more than 6
one (1) disability category shall use the category of the majority of students 7
on the caseload to determine the maximum caseload established in 8
paragraph (b) of this subsection; and 9
(i) State preschool caseload and class size maximums shall be maintained 10
pursuant to Section 4 of this Act. 11
(4)[(2)] The Department of Education is authorized to receive contributions and 12
donations that may be made to carry out[ the provisions and requirements of] KRS 13
157.200 to 157.290[157.280]. 14
(5)[(3)] Local supervision of special educational facilities for exceptional children and 15
youth shall be approved by the Department of Education according to 16
administrative[rules and] regulations promulgated[approved] by the Kentucky 17
Board of Education. 18
Section 2. KRS 157.200 is amended to read as follows: 19
As used in K