This story was written by Lia Salvatierra, our new Education Reporter. Find more of Lia’s reporting here. Do you have an NKY education story? Email lsalvatierra@linknky.com.
Southgate Independent School District’s Board of Education voted last week to appoint a resident to a vacant board seat.
During a Sept. 10 regular meeting, the board voted to appoint Keaton Thomas to fulfill the remaining term of board member William “BJ” Shockney, who resigned from the position in July.
Southgate Superintendent Greg Duty said board members approved the resignation during a July 16 board meeting and had 60 days to fill the vacancy.
Thomas was the only resident to apply for the open seat, Duty told LINK nky. He will hold the seat through the remainder of Shockney’s four-year term, which expires at the end of 2027.
Thomas has one student in the district and another who will enroll in preschool, according to Duty.
Board members also separately denied a $250 per-meeting payment for their participation, amounting to $1,250 per meeting. Duty said the board votes every year on whether to pay itself, an expense that would come out of the general fund.
Lastly, the board approved its proposed property tax rates, lowering the real property rate to 94.6 from 109.9 last year. That translates to $946 on every $100,000 in real estate, down from $1,099.
The board voted to retain a 109.9 rate for personal property, the same as last year.
Boone County School District
The Boone County Board of Education agreed to place elementary school redistricting on its October agenda after hearing from parents and staff concerned about overcrowding at Longbranch Elementary School during a Sept. 10 meeting.
Read more about redistricting here.
During the same meeting, the board adopted its $319.6 million 2026-27 working budget after giving a presentation on how it plans to use the additional $2.2 million in revenue generated by the board’s newly adopted property taxes.
Budgeted expenditures of $319.6 million include 6.8% set aside for contingencies, which are reserves for unplanned expenses.
The district has a beginning fund balance of roughly $51 million and is anticipating $146.1 million in local revenue, $116 million from the state, including SEEK funding, and $1.2 million in federal funding.
Kenton County School District
The Kenton County Board of Education also approved its $172.7 million 2026-27 working budget during a Sept. 8 meeting, which includes $41.8 million, or 24.2% for contingencies.
The district has a beginning balance of $49.8 million and is anticipating $81.4 million in local revenue and roughly $39 million from state sources.
Newport Independent School District
Newport Independent Schools joined Dayton Independent Schools in pursuing a civil action lawsuit against social media companies for harming youth mental health. The Newport Independent Board of Education approved a resolution authorizing litigation following an executive session at a Sept. 9 meeting.
During the same meeting, the board approved Superintendent Matt Atkins’ first annual review and proposed property tax rates, with some public pushback. Find more details here.
See a list of this week’s school board meetings below.
Bellevue Independent School Board
When: Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.
Where: Bellevue High School at 201 Center St, Bellevue, KY 41073
What: Regular meeting including a vote on the 2026-27 working budget.
Read the full agenda here.