Education

School districts around the state are contemplating Gov. Steve Beshear's budget proposal from last week and seeing how they can squeeze their budgets to fit within the cuts.

Although Beshear has committed to funding at the same level as 2011-12, that doesn't take into account growth across the commonwealth.

Per-pupil state funding is taking a hit, and in growth districts like Shelby County, that means stretching money over a bigger pool of students.

Even the positives from Beshear's plan could hurt.

The Shelby County Board of Education received some grim news with the first look at its 2012-13 budget.

The draft budget, which is a state-mandated review of projected receipts and expenses, was presented at Thursday's meeting and with it came an appeal from Superintendent James Neihof that the board members talk to the county’s leaders in Frankfort about continuing cut costs in education.

In his report, Neihof said the state needs to get back to the funding level it provided in 2008.

Shelby County Public Schools announced Wednesday that six new teachers had earned their National Board Certification, brining the district's total to 54.

The district's press release showed Shelby County High School and Painted Stone Elementary each with two teachers  earning the national recognition this year: Karin Ceralde and Julia Webb and Molly Davie and Heather Fallen, respectively.

Also earning their certification were Amy Vest from Southside Elementary and Kimberly Lewis from Wright Elementary.

Shelby County Public Schools is hoping to jumpstart the careers of students who jumped out of school a little too early.

The district will begin a pilot program on Jan. 3 that will help students who dropped out of school before graduating finally earn their diplomas.

This program differs from the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program in that students actually earn Shelby County diplomas instead of an equivalency.