Kentucky’s schools are in a race against time and inflation. While costs climb, state SEEK funding (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky) continues to lag behind, leaving districts under-resourced and overburdened.

That’s where the Back on Track reports come in.

For the second year in a row, The Alchemy Collaborative partnered with the Kentucky Council for Better Education (CBE) to transform a complex dataset into clear, district-level stories. These reports are designed to help superintendents, finance officers, and advocates communicate the urgent need for fair and adequate funding and to do it with confidence, clarity, and visual impact.

from data to drive

Each year, CBE gathers detailed funding data for every public school district in Kentucky. That includes:

• SEEK base funding per student
• Add-ons for at-risk, exceptional, and LEP students
• Transportation funding
• Tier 1 equalization funding

We worked closely with CBE to translate that data into custom reports for each district, along with a statewide summary highlighting just how far SEEK funding has fallen behind inflation since 2008.

Spoiler alert: Kentucky is currently underfunding students by more than $2,100 per student. That’s equivalent to hundreds of millions of dollars in unmet need statewide.

from reports to storytelling tools

To support local advocacy efforts, CBE also offers an optional district-branded slide deck, designed by our team, featuring each district’s specific data and presenter notes to help leaders speak to stakeholders.

But here’s the truth:  Data alone doesn’t inspire action. A well-told story does.

that’s where we come in.

In addition to the materials we’ve developed through CBE, The Alchemy Collaborative works directly with districts to:

• Craft custom messaging and talking points
• Design one-pagers or infographics for board meetings
• Develop communications strategies around legislative or budget priorities
• Our goal? Help you tell the right story to the right audience, with the clarity and confidence it deserves.

why it matters

We believe good design is about more than looking polished; it’s about making important information accessible and actionable.

In this case, that meant:

• Turning spreadsheets into storytelling tools
• Giving districts language they can use in budget meetings and public forums
• Supporting a collective call for change across Kentucky
• Because when every district is equipped to advocate, every student benefits.

ready to tell your story?

If you’re a district leader looking to elevate your message, whether about funding, enrollment, facilities, or something else, we’re here to help.

💡 Let’s dig into your data and uncover the gold.

📩 Contact us to dream about what's possible.