Kentucky’s first school was founded in Harrodstown (now Harrodsburg) in 1775. Education was free and compulsory for ages 7 to 16. State taxation to support education was first introduced in 1904. In 1990, the Kentucky General Assembly passed the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), a landmark piece of legislation that primarily provided equal funding for all school districts based on student population. The goal was to achieve equal educational opportunity for every Kentucky schoolchild. In addition to funding issues, the act influenced public education at virtually every other level, from curriculum to administration; it created school boards, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Kentucky School Commissioner, which replaced the century-and-a-half-old position of elected superintendent of public instruction.
University of Kentucky
Kentucky has several state-supported universities and many private two- and four-year colleges, as well as vocational schools and more than a dozen state-supported community colleges. Most of these institutions are located in the Bluegrass region. Transylvania University in Lexington, founded in 1780, is the oldest institution of higher education west of the Allegheny Mountains. The University of Louisville, founded by the city council in 1798, is the oldest public university in the state. It became part of the state university system in 1970. The University of Kentucky at Lexington is the largest university in the state; it was founded in 1865 as a land-grant college. Both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville have medical and dental schools, as well as law schools. The University of Kentucky also has a well-respected College of Agriculture, known for its equine research centers. Murray State University in Murray, in southwestern Kentucky, was founded in 1922 and is recognized for its research on ecosystems and waterways. Berea College, founded in 1855 to serve needy students from the Appalachian Mountains, is a well-known regional center for traditional arts. Most of Kentucky’s private colleges and schools are supported by the church.