KyPolicy

Two-thirds of Kentucky school districts will receive less from the state for core education funding in 2027, according to KDE projections. After adjusting for inflation, 95% of districts will see a cut. Use our tool linked below to see how your district fares:

Kentucky's population is getting older and we're not prepared for the challenges that come with that. But as our newest op-ed explains, we can get prepared by embracing a few key policies.

Our write-up of this: kypolicy.org/kentuckians-ar…

For more than 80 years, Kentuckians could claim unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks. But a recent state law cut the max to 16. Now, with hiring slow, nearly half of claimants are hitting the maximum number of weeks of UI and losing their sole source of income.

The share of laid-off Kentuckians who have run out of benefits before they found a new job has returned to Great Recession levels. This isn’t because things are bad right now, it’s because KY cut the number of weeks people could use benefits a few years ago.

A 2022 law passed by the General Assembly deeply cut the weeks of unemployment benefits laid-off workers could receive. Now with hiring frozen and no net job growth statewide, jobless workers are rapidly running out of benefits. See link to new @KyPolicy piece in next tweet

Join us May 18 for the #ThriveKY Forum with CHFS. Hear directly from Cabinet leaders on rural health, child care, Medicaid, food assistance, behavioral health, and new program changes shaping KY communities in 2026. Be there to be part of the conversation: tinyurl.com/2026ThriveKY

From committee testimony and TV interviews, to legislative advocacy and our annual conference, we stayed busy during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly. Thank you for following our work, and stay turned for more. And sign up for our newsletter: kypolicy.org/signup/

Some districts get more attention, but when the state underfunds public education, schools all across Kentucky struggle.

We see the impact of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund firsthand in #EasternKY. 🏡 As HDA Executive Director Scott McReynolds says: “The housing crisis won’t be solved with small steps. The investment has to match the scale of the need.” #AffordableHousing #FundingCantWait

Find the life expectancy in your county here: kypolicy.org/growing-death-…

Life expectancy varies widely between Kentucky counties, census data shows. In Owsley County, one of the state’s poorest, life expectancy is 64.9 years. But in Oldham County, the state’s wealthiest, it’s 80.3 years. This is why protecting rural health care systems is so vital.

More here: kypolicy.org/growing-death-…

Rural Kentucky continued to lose population in the past 5 years, new census data shows. People leaving eastern Kentucky once drove this trend, but that’s less of a factor now. Instead, the advanced age of those who remain and lower life expectancy play the biggest role.

More here in our analysis of recent Census data: kypolicy.org/growing-death-…

KY’s population grew by 2.2% over the past 5 years, census data shows. But with deaths exceeding births and an aging baby boomer population, that growth was largely driven by international migration. Another reminder of the important role immigrants play in the commonwealth.

New @KyPolicy dive into the recent 5-year KY population trends. The data tells a story of an aging baby boomer population and the spike of COVID deaths in a state with low life expectancy, the importance of immigration and more. 1/2

From this excellent piece in the @KYLantern: kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/04/a-h…

This is the kind of good work made possible by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. And why we joined calls for a major investment in this year's budget. Instead, lawmakers appropriated only $5 million, not nearly enough to make a meaningful difference in our housing crisis.