Burt Carney’s Legacy: Equipping Schools Through the Legal Legislative Update

Burt Carney, former longtime ACSI staff member and founder of the Legal Legislative Update, passed away on December 7, 2024. His dedication to protecting and supporting Christian schools left an indelible mark on the organization and its members. 

Early in his tenure at ACSI, Carney was tasked by the organization’s founder, Dr. Paul Kienel, with creating a regular newsletter for Christian school administrators and board members. "This became one of my most enjoyable duties as an employee," Carney would later write. 

For 18 years, Carney served as editor of ACSI's Legal/Legislative Update (now just Legal Legislative Update or LLU), transforming it into an indispensable quarterly resource for Christian schools. Dr. Ken Smitherman, who supervised Carney for 12 of those years, described the newsletter as "a most significant contribution" to the organization's mission. 

"Burt's research and preparation for the publication focused on addressing areas of crucial concern to schools—issues that, if ignored, could have unintended and potentially devastating outcomes," Smitherman noted. He particularly praised Carney's dedication to personnel matters, from conducting effective background checks to understanding overtime laws. "He had a burning passion to see schools appropriately informed on personnel issues. Even seemingly insignificant matters, if left unaddressed, could create unwieldy liabilities." 

Carney was also vigilant in monitoring pending legislation that might affect Christian schools' hiring practices. "He could readily spot legal language that might disallow hiring practices aligned with biblical values," Smitherman explained. A popular feature of the LLU was its Q&A section, in which ACSI's legal counsel, John Cooley, addressed frequently asked legal questions. "His objective was to produce something so informative and readable that schools could implement preventative procedures to stay protected from litigation on multiple fronts," Smitherman shared. 

ACSI Vice President for Legal Affairs, Philip Scott, worked alongside Carney for several years. He shared that, “Burt built a solid foundation for the Legal Legislative Issues Department and, with little to no help, tamed much of the wild landscape of legal, HR, and risk management territory around Christian schools. Not public schools and often more than private schools, faith-based schools often operate in a very unique and narrow legal landscape. Burt understood that well and even helped to set national law and policy through his work.” 

Two key experiences shaped Carney's approach to his role as LLU editor. While serving as a teacher and administrator at Harvester Christian Academy in Alaska, he volunteered as ACSI's District Representative during a critical period when the state proposed mandatory licensing for Christian schools. Through strategic newsletter communications and coordination, Carney helped mobilize successful opposition to the proposal. Later, as a temporary ACSI employee in the Northwest, he visited over 600 schools across six states, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges faced by small schools. 

The value of Carney's work was consistently reflected in annual member surveys, where the LLU ranked among the most appreciated benefits of ACSI membership. Even after retirement, he continued contributing articles to the publication, leaving a legacy that underscores the vital importance of proactive legal and legislative support for Christian schools. 

Burt Carney with a copy of the LLU