Kentucky Department of Education

SBDM Online Guidance

Outlines the text of the SBDM statute.  Includes brief explanations and references.

Sample SBDM Policies  2005

Download a sample set of policies and change them to suit your elementary, middle or high school council. (We include the committees "policy" in the bylaws.)

Sample SBDM By-laws 2005

Download a sample set of bylaws and change them to suit your elementary, middle or high school council. (We include the committees "policy" in the bylaws.)

Alternative Model Application

This regulation allows SBDM councils to apply to the Kentucky Board of Education for an alternative chairperson or an alternative to the typical 3-2-1 SBDM membership model set in statute.

SBDM Personnel Handbook 2006

This handbook provides up-to-date guidance and technical assistance for schools and districts concerning most personnel issues.

SBDM Elections Fact Sheet

This one page review outlines requirements and recommendations for SBDM council elections for teachers and parents.

Guidebook for Principal Selection

This guidebook is designed for use by SBDM council members who must select a principal for their school.

2003 Kentucky Leadership Framework

Kentucky Department of Education staff will use this framework to streamline and implement its leadership programs and coordinate efforts with external leadership programs and networks to better serve Kentucky's local districts and schools in their efforts to develop leadership capacity.

SBDM Policy & Best Practice Checklist for Elementary Schools

This checklist may be used by elementary school SBDM councils to conduct a review of their policies.

SBDM Policy & Best Practice Checklist for Middle Schools

This checklist may be used by middle school SBDM councils to conduct a review of their policies.

SBDM Policy & Best Practice Checklist for High Schools

This checklist may be used by high school SBDM councils to conduct a review of their policies.

Exemption from School-Based Decision Making

This document outlines the requirements set in statute for exemption from the requirement to implement  SBDM and provides an application form for schools that are eligible.

Managing Council Records

All state and local government employees are responsible for the records they create and maintain, and they can make a major contribution to good records management in their agencies on a daily basis.  Kentucky law (KRS 171.410-.740) assigns broad authority for the management of state and local government records to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. The statutes also set out specific responsibilities delegated to the head of any state or local government agency and to the State Archives and Records Commission. These are defined in more detail in the document.

Your Duty Under the Law: Open Meetings

This document explains the procedural and substantive provisions of the Open Meetings Act, KRS 61.800 to 61.850, and the Open Records Act, KRS 61.870 to 61.884, and contains basic information about the Acts.  Pursuant to KRS 15.257(1), the Office of the Attorney General distributes this written information to assist the public officials of Kentucky in complying with the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts.

Council Member Signature Certification Forms

These two forms are designed to satisfy the requirement that individuals receiving the information cited above provide signatory proof that they have received this information. There is one signature form for superintendents, and another signature form for each council member or board member.

SBDM Records Retention Sheet

This document is a quick reference sheet of the records retention schedule based on the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives requirements.

A complete listing can be found on the KDLA Webpage.