KY HB19

Beginning with the 2026-2028 biennium, the Kentucky Board of Education cannot approve local school district budgets unless salary schedules for both certified and classified staff are adjusted annually by the percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)

Replaces the previous requirement that salary increases match the cost-of-living adjustment provided to state government workers under the biennial budget

Expands the mandatory annual adjustment requirement to include classified staff compensation, not just certified teacher salaries as under prior law

Base funding for the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) program must be increased by the statewide dollar value of the required CPI-U adjustment

Declared an emergency measure, taking effect July 1, 2026