School administrator raises can’t outpace teacher salaries under KY Senate bill

Two Kentucky Senate Republicans said bills filed on Tuesday aim to strengthen accountability in Kentucky’s public education system.

Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, will make sure superintendent and other school administrators’ pay raises do not outpace the pay raises for classroom teachers, she said.

“It ensures that when school administrators receive pay raises, that those increases do not exceed the average percentage pay raise provided to our classroom teachers within the same district,” she said.

The legislation prioritizes “those individuals that teach our kids and move our kids forward ... as opposed to the explosion in central office,” Adams said.

Senate Bill 4, filed by Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, who is also the chair of a Senate education committee, requires specific training for new school principals during their first five years on the job.

At a Tuesday news conference, West said he will lobby for additional money for the principals’ program, which is a leadership practicum. The program will begin July 1, 2027.

Under the bill, over five years principals will receive training ranging from basic to high level and will be paired with a mentor.

The Kentucky Senate has traditionally designated Senate Bills 1 through 10 as priority legislation, underscoring their significance for consideration during the General Assembly, a news release said.

“Every member of the legislature wants a high quality public school system,” West said.

Other education priority bills were filed earlier in January.

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, filed Senate Bill 3, which increases public access to a school district’s financial information.

Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg, also filed a bill dealing with education governance for Jefferson County Public Schools. Senate Bill 1 would delegate long-term strategy, fiscal oversight and performance monitoring to school boards while superintendents would oversee day-to-day operations, personnel, transportation and administrative management.

Both Jefferson and Fayette County Public Schools districts, the largest in the state, have been criticized for budget problems that heightened in 2025.

This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 5:05 PM.