LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For Jennifer Lloyd, SB-128 was going to be the proverbial lifesaver for her son. But the Senate bill isn’t a mandate from Frankfort. It simply gives school districts the option of allowing students to repeat the current school year.
“They should do it,” said Jennifer Lloyd. “It’s what they’re owed,” she said of the students who were required to learn in a virtual setting in Fayette County for most of the 2020-21 school year.
Lloyd’s situation is a little different from other families’. Her son is a special needs student.
“Because of his disabilities, he couldn’t do NTI,” she explained. “He went in a few times, but his regular support staff and some therapists weren’t working, or were working remotely. So he was left with other people to help him."
That left her son with inconsistencies in his education, and for all intents and purposes, the academic year was a total loss for him. But he’s not alone. So many students have fallen behind due to the pandemic. It’s why state legislators authored and passed SB-128.
“If families feel their student suffered due to the lack of in-person instruction then yes, they should be allowed to retake the year. Especially since the legislators believe it obviously harmed, or was harmful for a lot of students,” Mrs. Lloyd argued.
School districts have until June 1 to make their decision regarding the supplemental year. Students must be registered by May 1. This will be an all-or-nothing scenario, as districts can’t make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
