Darcy Costello, Mandy McLaren, Darcy Costello and Mandy McLaren | Courier Journal

Astrid Hacker/ Louisville Courier Journal

Michael Clevenger/Louisville Courier Journal

A wave of school closures has swept Kentucky as teachers across the state, frustrated by a controversial pension reform bill passed Thursday night, requested substitutes or called in sick.

Jefferson County Schools closed due to significant teacher absences that left it unable to "safely cover a large number of classes with substitute teachers," according to a statement.

When JCPS made the decision at 4:45 a.m., there were roughly 1,270 teacher absences with several hundred more anticipated, district spokesman Daniel Kemp said. There are roughly 6,600 teachers employed by JCPS. There were 123 schools with unfilled classrooms and around 20 schools with double-digit teacher absences.

The latest: Kentucky teachers storm Frankfort to protest pension bill

'We will take this to court.': Attorney General Beshear promises to block pension bill

The district is not alone. More than 20 counties have announced school closures — many citing an inability to cover teacher absences — as teachers and supporters rally behind the hashtag #120Strong on Twitter, calling for all 120 counties to close their doors.

Some, like Madison County, have explicitly connected the closures to protests following the pension reform bill's passage, while others have attributed it simply to employee absences.

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

"This has been a difficult evening for all for all of us in education. We share a passion for our students and for their futures that is unmatched and unwavering," a post on Madison County's school district's website said. "Tonight we have to balance that passion with the need to stand in solidarity with others in our profession across this state."

Why are teachers angry?

View | 19 Photos

Teachers protest pension reform bill that passed House and Senate

Teachers have been a consistent, loud voice against how lawmakers have proposed to fix the broken pension system, and have clashed with the governor.

Since the start of session, hundreds of teachers and public workers have rallied in Frankfort, including a loud protest earlier this month before a key pension reform vote was delayed.

A banner posted on the front steps of one rally summed up their feelings: "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH."

Thursday night, as the pension bill passed, many continued to voice their outrage, stunned and furious by lawmakers' quick unveiling and voting on the measure. They chanted objections , like "Shame on you."

The bill, which cleared the House and Senate in a matter of hours, first came into view Thursday afternoon when a committee resurrected a bill without warning that had seemed near death for three weeks.

While it does not include some provisions teachers found most objectionable — like a reduction in cost-of-living increases for retired teachers or a change in how long current teachers must work before being eligible for retirement benefits — it does move future teachers from the current traditional pension plan into a new "hybrid" cash balance plan.

It also limits the impact of sick leave payments on retirement benefits.

More on bill: Surprise pension bill surfaces and zips through General Assembly despite cries of stunned teachers

Who is organizing this?

The Jefferson County teachers union is encouraging teachers to go to the state capitol on Monday to advocate for education funding in the budget, but the union did not recommend for teachers to call off work Friday, according to a Facebook post.

"JCTA is NOT recommending a job action, such as some are promoting on social media," said a post on the Jefferson County Teacher's Association Facebook page.

Under Kentucky law, public employees do not have the right to strike.

The Jefferson County union is one of more than 170 local affiliates of the statewide union and typically focuses on local issues. A statewide strike would require a majority of the state union's board to vote in favor of one.

The last time Kentucky teachers embarked on a statewide strike was in 1970. That strike, triggered in part by pay grievances, involved an estimated 25,000 employees. It lasted five days.

In the end, the General Assembly gave in to each of the teachers' demands, including a $600 pay raise.

What's next?

Teachers are

likely to return Monday for a gathering pushed for by the Jefferson County teachers union, which is calling for teachers to advocate for education funding in the budget.

ROLL CALL: See how lawmakers voted on the controversial pension reform bill

Brent McKim, the union president, said the group plans to mount two legal challenges to the bill and the method of its passage, which he said was "absolutely reprehensible and — beyond that — patently illegal," in a video posted on YouTube early Friday.

The union will challenge a provision that would no longer allow teachers to use unused sick days when calculating their pension benefits, as well as the entire bill. McKim said the legislature broke state law by passing the bill without an actuarial analysis.

"We will be challenging legally the entire passage of the bill," he said.

What counties canceled Friday classes?

Darcy Costello: 502-582-4834; dcostello@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @dctello. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/darcyc.