HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – On March 27, Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 5, which encourages school districts to purchase locally grown and produced products. Along with other recently signed legislation regarding schools, Beshear says this bill supports both Kentucky farmers and students through nutritional meals.

Christian County is home to over 1,000 farms covering around 300,000 acres of land. Local farms harvest over three million bushels of wheat each year with local production ties to Krusteaz making Hopkinsville the Batter Capital of the World. The county also produces large amounts of corn and soybeans among other crops.

What this means for school districts

A news release from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture says the passage of this bill allows schools in the commonwealth to have an easier path in including local farm products into their meals. The bill permits school districts participating in USDA Child Nutrition programs greater flexibility in directly purchasing Kentucky-grown agricultural products without being subject to certain state competitive bidding laws.

“Studies show farm produce from a local source has more nutrients than those that have to be shipped longer distances,” said Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell in a news release. “Healthier, more nutrient dense meals make for a child that is more focused, alert, and ready to learn. This bill helps achieve this by decreasing some of the challenges and barriers in prior procurements of local farm fresh foods.”

The change does not exempt districts from other federal or local procurement rules and districts must still comply with all federal requirements. Due to the recent passage of the bill, the Christian County Public Schools Board of Education has not had discussion about possible implementation regarding the legislation.

| STAY UPDATED ON LOCAL NEWS: Sign up for the midday Christian County Now newsletter.

All school related bills signed by Gov. Beshear recently

Along with Senate Bill 5, a news release from the governor’s office said Beshear also signed Senate Bills 2 and 46, along with House Bill 657 which are all aimed to enhance and support public education and safety.

  • Senate Bill 2 requires school districts to not increase administrator pay greater than the percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers.
  • Senate Bill 46 makes changes to laws governing student transportation, including permitting schools to use non-school bus passenger vehicles designed for 10 or fewer passengers, up from nine or fewer. It also allows local districts to adopt policies on use of such vehicles to ensure the safety of our children.
  • House Bill 657 protects consumers by requiring national and state background checks for psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, social workers and professional counselors.

“Providing high-quality public education and making sure all our people feel safe have always been top priorities in my administration,” said Gov. Beshear. “These pieces of legislation will ensure school districts provide our dedicated classroom teachers equal pay increases with administrators, while also helping public schools better care for Kentucky students by boosting nutrition and safety.”

| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Christian County Now app