{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-157.072","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 157.072","heading":"Career and technical education accessibility fund.","body":"(1) For purposes of this section:\n(a) \"Career academy\" means a small learning community within a larger high\nschool that:\n1. Consists of a heterogeneous group of students taking classes together for\nat least two (2) years and who are taught by a team of teache rs from\ndifferent disciplines;\n2. Provides a college -preparatory academic curriculum based on a career\ntheme that helps students see relationships and connections between\nacademic subjects and their applications in specific career pathways and\nin broad car eer areas such as health science, business, pre -engineering,\nagribusiness, and advanced manufacturing; and\n3. Provides opportunities through partnerships with employers, colleges,\nand the community for students to engage in internships and work-based\nlearning with adult mentors to motivate students to achieve;\n(b) \"Career guidance coach\" means a person who is assigned one hundred percent\n(100%) of his or her time to:\n1. The development of students', teachers', and parents' understanding of\nbroad career themes and opportunities through career pathways;\n2. Academic advising and career counseling;\n3. Assisting students in the development of individual learning plans; and\n4. Providing assistance to other teachers;\n(c) \"Career pathway\" means a coherent, articulat ed sequence of rigorous\nacademic and career -related courses, commencing in ninth grade and leading\nto an associate degree, an industry -recognized certificate or license, or a\nbaccalaureate or higher degree. A career pathway is developed, implemented,\nand maintained in partnership among secondary and postsecondary education\ninstitutions, businesses, and employers. Career pathways are available to all\nstudents, including adult learners, and are designed to lead to rewarding\ncareers; and\n(d) \"Career pathway program of study\" means a coherent, articulated sequence of\nrigorous academic and career and technical education courses, including dual\ncredit opportunities, that prepares secondary students for postsecondary study\nleading to postsecondary degrees, industry certifications, or licensure.\n(2) There is hereby created a trust and agency account to be known as the career and\ntechnical education accessibility fund, to be administered by the Kentucky\nDepartment of Education. The fund shall consist of proceeds from grants, federal\nfunds, contributions, appropriations, or other moneys made available for the\npurposes of the fund. The fund shall provide grants to be used for:\n(a) The development of career pathw ays and programs of study in high -demand\noccupational fields for students in middle schools and high schools; and\n(b) The establishment of career academies in secondary schools. Each career\nacademy shall employ general education faculty who teach the acade mic core\ncontent and career and technical education faculty who focus the majority of\nthe content around a broad career area and, when possible, employ career\nguidance coaches to advise students. Career academies shall provide students\nan opportunity to ea rn a high school diploma and simultaneously earn\npostsecondary education credit. They shall also provide opportunities to earn\nindustry certification in high -demand fields, including biotechnology,\nenvironmental sustainability, agriculture, health, enginee ring, information\ntechnology, and other emerging career areas.\n(3) The grants may be used within a high school facility, career and technical education\ncenter, or in an area technology center.\n(4) The programs may, based on written policies of the educatio n institution in\nconsultation with and approval of the Kentucky Community and Technical College\nSystem, serve adult learners who may have interrupted their secondary education\nand wish to reenter a program or adults who wish to pursue initial study in a ca reer\nand technical education field.\n(5) Funds shall be distributed through a grant program to eligible school districts and\nthe Kentucky Tech System on a matching basis as funds are available.\n(6) Financial gifts and in -kind contributions from any business  or industry, a\ncommunity college, or other entity may be accepted to meet the matching\nrequirements based on criteria established by the Kentucky Board of Education.\n(7) Pursuant to KRS Chapter 13A, the Kentucky Board of Education shall promulgate\nadministrative regulations that specify the:\n(a) Eligibility requirements for participation in the grant program. Low graduation\nrates, as determined in accordance with the methodology established by the\nNational Center for Education Statistics, shall be high pri ority for\nparticipation in the grant program;\n(b) Matching requirements;\n(c) Application and review process;\n(d) Accountability and data requirements for grant recipients;\n(e) Procedures for the reallocation of any unused fund balance;\n(f) Grant continuation requirements; and\n(g) Other components essential to the implementation of this section.\n(8) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, any unused balance in the career and technical\neducation accessibility fund shall not lapse but shall be carried forward into the next\nfiscal year and used only for the purposes described in subsection (2) of this section.\nAny interest earnings of the fund shall become a part of the fund and shall not lapse.\nMoneys in the fund are hereby appropriated for the purposes set forth in this\nsection.\n(9) Schools receiving grants shall have an active local advisory council comprised of\nindustry leaders and employers and postsecondary education faculty to provide\ninput on long-range goals for career and technical education.\n(10) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a school that has begun the implementation of\na career pathway or a career academy prior to April 19, 2012, from qualifying for\nfunds under this section.","path":["KRS Chapter 157"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=40074","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:01Z","sha256":"61038869ddd5ef211598c07848e49a4a81984a0569d6a466e204b2330dc0ee85","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-157.070","next":"us-ky/krs-157.075"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}