Mind over chatter since 1920.
KHSSL seeks state supplemental funding
Hello coaches of and friends of KHSSL:
In coordination with KHSSL Board of Directors Chair Woody Zorn of Hebron Middle School (etc.) and past Chair Michael Robinson of Murray HS/MS, Steve Meadows (in his role as KHSSL Executive Director) has been working on a proposal to gain supplemental funding from the state for the Kentucky High School Speech League for the next two years.
WHY
This funding would have two main impacts:
1. To financially stabilize the League, which has not been bringing in as much $ as it used to pre-COVID due to lower participation at the Regional and State tournaments. At Regional Speech this year, Junior Division is still only at 65% participation of where it was in February 2020 for that Regional tournament series, and while Senior fares better at 92%, both are still climbing from much diminished participation the past couple of years. These fees plus our school membership fees are our only significant sources of income since we're an independent organization with no current state funding. I was able to get us a large grant to tide us over during the height of COVID, but that money runs out this year (we already got three years out of what was supposed to be only two years' worth).
2. We want to grow as a League, not just get back to where we were, so to remove barriers from any school who wants to join KHSSL, we'd like to waive the school membership fee. As that's a major source of income for KHSSL, we need to replace that money -- and if we do, that means every school in the State can join for free! One more barrier out of the way!
WHERE WE ARE
Representative Mary Beth Imes of Murray has written a bill (House Bill 343) that would grant KHSSL $35,000 per year for the next two years. This would allow us to waive school fees, stabilize, and even spend a little more money on our State tournaments, on teacher/coach professional development, etc.. It was sent to the House Committee on Committees on January 23 and is still there.
We also have discussed with a State Senator (her idea) the idea of adding this appropriation directly to the Senate version of the State Budget that is being discussed now. The House has passed a Budget draft; there's now one in the Senate, and when theirs passes, they'll reconcile the two and send one on to the Governor. If this appropriation is in the Senate version, we can skip the need to have a mirror bill move through the Senate for the money requested in the House bill. We'll just have to campaign for it to stay in the reconciled budget.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Obviously, if you have a personal relationship already with your State Representative or Senator, a direct appeal to that person will have a great deal of sway! Please do that. Info below on what to say.
And here's something everyone can do. Please take five minutes and write to your state Representative and your state Senator.
1. Click here and enter your home address.
2. Your state senator and state representative will each pop up. Click on their Bio link, and you'll get a page that tells all about them. In the section on the right, there's a link to email them. Click that, fill out your info, and in the Comments section, do this --
a. For your state Senator, ask them to submit a budget request in the amount of $35,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025 and $35,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Learning and Results Services budget unit for the Kentucky High School Speech League for the continuation of operations. Feel free to add to this simple request with details about yourself and your students and what this activity has meant to you and them, etc. Or you can just copy this and paste it in the Comments section:
I am writing to you to ask you to submit a budget request in the amount of $35,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025 and $35,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Learning and Results Services budget unit for the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) for the continuation and expansion of operations. Since 1920, KHSSL has hosted the Regional and State tournaments in Speech and Debate and has been the state's primary support for communications education. Speech and debate provides young people a forum to collaborate with others, think analytically on broader issues that face the world, and develop critical thinking and communication skills our employers seek; we call it mind over chatter. Our member schools host meets throughout the year to prepare for our State Speech and Debate tournaments in February and March. KHSSL also provides professional learning, helps create and develop new programs at schools, and serves as a liaison for the state to and from the national organizations.
Like all school activities, KHSSL was financially hit by the pandemic, and participation numbers are still climbing back toward pre-2020 figures. COVID hit right when KHSSL became a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and hired a state director to not only run our tournaments but also to serve as an educators' educator throughout the year. We wish to expand, not just get back to where we were. If KHSSL is able to obtain this state supplement, the League will be able to drop its school membership fee, allowing every single school in the state to join the League for free. We want to keep the League afloat and expand its offerings to all Kentucky kids.
We hope you will help us with this request for funding and will also consider attending the Junior High State Speech Tournament at UK (February 23-24), the Senior High State Speech tournament at NKU (March 8-9), or the Debate State Tournament at U of L: March 22-23. Contact khssl@khssl.org and visit www.khssl.org for more information. Thank you.
b. For your state Representative, you'll want to ask them to support House Bill 343, introduced by Representative Imes. You can simply write that, you can write your own note, or you can copy and paste this into the Comments section:I am writing to you to ask you to support House Bill 343, submitted by Representative Imes, that will support the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) with $35,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025 and $35,000 in fiscal year for the continuation and expansion of operations. Since 1920, KHSSL has hosted the Regional and State tournaments in Speech and Debate and has been the state's primary support for communications education. Speech and debate provides young people a forum to collaborate with others, think analytically on broader issues that face the world, and develop critical thinking and communication skills our employers seek; we call it mind over chatter. Our member schools host meets throughout the year to prepare for our State Speech and Debate tournaments in February and March. KHSSL also provides professional learning, helps create and develop new programs at schools, and serves as a liaison for the state to and from the national organizations.
Like all school activities, KHSSL was financially hit by the pandemic, and participation numbers are still climbing back toward pre-2020 figures. COVID hit right when KHSSL became a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and hired a state director to not only run our tournaments but also to serve as an educators' educator throughout the year. We wish to expand, not just get back to where we were. If KHSSL is able to obtain this state supplement, the League will be able to drop its school membership fee, allowing every single school in the state to join the League for free. We want to keep the League afloat and expand its offerings to all Kentucky kids.
We hope you will help us with this request for funding and will also consider attending the Junior High State Speech Tournament at UK (February 23-24), the Senior High State Speech tournament at NKU (March 8-9), or the Debate State Tournament at U of L: March 22-23. Contact khssl@khssl.org and visit www.khssl.org for more information. Thank you.
That's it. Your voice matters. Please take five minutes right away to help Kentucky thrive and grow. We're already deep into the legislative session and must act now if this is to happen. We need your help. And spread the word!