2025 Regular Session - Day 17 - HB 441, Rep. James Tipton

thank you Mr speaker thank you gentlemen from McCracken I'm sure we're all well aware that our school districts across the Commonwealth in Kentucky are dealing with finding enough qualified teachers to teach our students in the classroom House Bill 441 will not solve that problem but I believe it is a tool that our school districts can use to help alleviate this shortage currently there are very strict limitations on how many retired teachers that a school district can hire uh for uh non-critical shortage areas they're only all allowed to hire up to 3% of the teachers in their Workforce for those critical shortage areas they're only allowed to hire 1% of their Workforce or the number two whichever is greater uh during covid that critical shortage area was increased up to 10% for that provision sunset in these critical shortage areas one thing to consider this also includes special education and there are some federal rules on certification uh which limit the ability of districts that can't use these emergency alternative certified so what house bill 441 will do it would move uh in both of these situations the full-time positions uh from 3% up to 10% in the critical shortage areas from 1% up to 10% or four uh it would also remove the requirements that school districts have to go through an administrative burden process uh a verify saying that there are no uh uh available teachers to fill these positions before they hire uh a a retired teacher for these positions Mr Speaker I'd be happy to entertain any questions but at this time I move for passage of House Bill 441