Kentucky’s school funding formula is in need of a thorough review, if not a full revamp.

The formula goes by the acronym SEEK, for Support Education Excellence in Kentucky. Its establishment was a step forward, but many contend the current implementation is sometimes lacking.

As outlined in Sarah Michels’ Educating Kentucky series this last week in the Daily News, the issue is complex.

After the state Supreme Court ruled that enormous funding gaps between poor and rich school districts was unconstitutional, SEEK was established in 1990.

The basic plan is simple enough – allocate state funds based on the number of enrolled students in each district.

But the implementation is not that straight-forward; the formula also accounts for factors like local property tax revenue, student demographics and attendance. The result is that districts still get varied amounts from the state.

A 2023 KyPolicy report found that funding gaps had widened since 1990, Michels reported. That year, the gap in per-pupil funding between poorer and wealthier districts was $3,489. In 2022, it was $3,902.

A broader issue is that the base SEEK funding allocation, determined by the legislature, has not kept up with inflation and does not take into account unfunded mandates and unique challenges for school districts.

There have been steps taken to address the funding shortage, with the legislature boosting SEEK funding during the last session.

But school officials point out that the increases still fall short of providing what is needed to address teacher shortages and the myriad other challenges of modern education.

While the SEEK program was a step forward, it seems clear that 34 years later, the broader issue of school funding is worth a review.

While there was talk by legislators of establishing a SEEK task force this year, it never came to pass.

We see no harm, and much potential good, from convening a group of stakeholders to examine the issue and make recommendations to help Kentucky boost its education achievement and ensure equitable funding for all our students.