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Two bills were passed out of their committees during week five of the Kansas legislative session and three education-related bills were introduced. The last day for non-exempt committees to introduce bills in their originating chamber was Friday, Feb. 7.
Bill Tracker
The following education-related bills were introduced this week:
HB 2330: Designating Nov. 14 of each year as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in the state of Kansas.
SB 252: Expanding the tax credit for low income students scholarship program act to allow certain high school students and students eligible to be enrolled in certain school districts to be eligible for scholarships; increasing the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such act and the aggregate tax credit limit; providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions; providing for program administration by the state treasurer.
SB 263: Establishing standards and requirements for active shooter drills conducted by public and accredited nonpublic elementary and secondary schools.
The following bills have been passed out of their committees:
HB 2033: Including programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council as approved at-risk educational programs.
Sub for HB 2102: Providing for the advanced enrollment of military students whose parent/guardian will be stationed in Kansas; and correcting federal statutory citations in the interstate compact on education opportunity for military children.
HB 2104: Standardizing firearm safety programs in school districts.
HB 2140: Creating the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position.
Other bills KSDE is tracking:
HB 2034: Authorizing school districts to employ chaplains or accept chaplains as volunteers to provide support, services and programs for students. Prohibiting certain persons from serving as chaplain.
HB 2067: Establishing a feminine hygiene product grant program and grant fund to award monies to qualifying Title I schools to provide feminine hygiene products to students at no cost.
HB 2103: Including participation in certain learning experiences and agricultural activities as a valid excuse for absence from school, and authorizing school boards to make rules therefore.
HB 2129: Transferring teachers from KPERS 3 to KPERS 2 and defining teachers for purposes of KPERS.
HB 2136: Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low-income students scholarship program; increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program; and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions.
HB 2137: Authorizing the Kansas State Department of Education to contract with a private vendor to install, operate and maintain school bus cameras.
HB 2138: Authorizing school districts to levy an annual tax levy of up to two mills for the purposes of school building safety, security and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and including such levy in the capital outlay state aid determination for such school districts.
HB 2139: Increasing the minimum expenditure amount for school districts for contracted goods and services without requiring sealed bids and the minimum expenditure amount for goods and services that the district superintendent may acquire on behalf of the district.
HB 2141: Requiring school districts to offer parents the opportunity to object to educational materials and activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards, or that impair a parent’s beliefs, values or principles.
HB 2142: Requiring each school district adopt an independent review process as part of such district’s policies prohibiting and preventing bullying.
HB 2156: Establishing the education opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public school.
HB 2176: Requiring the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) to establish a school classification system based on student attendance and a multiplier factor that adjusts certain schools' student attendance.
HB 2186: Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours and to prohibit students from using school district computers or devices to access social media platforms.
HB 2203: Including children with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder under the definition of other health impairment in the special education for exceptional children act.
HB 2259: Requiring school districts to adopt policies to limit the use of personal electronic communication devices during school hours and requiring the state board of education to designate a period of time for social media awareness and develop goals and materials relating thereto.
HB 2295: Providing for reimbursements to local school boards for reduced price school meals; prohibiting local school boards from collecting money for such meals.
HB 2299: Prohibiting discriminatory practices on the basis of religion at public educational institutions and authorizing the attorney general to investigate violations and assess civil penalties under the Kansas act against discrimination.
HB 2303: Enacting the longitudinal data act, establishing the division of longitudinal data in the legislative research department, authorizing the appointment of a director of the division by the legislative coordinating council and providing for the development and management of the Kansas longitudinal data system for the purpose of tracking and analyzing education, workforce and related data.
HB 2320: Authorizing children in the custody of the secretary of the Department for Children and Families to attend school in any school district, requiring records to be timely transferred between school districts and requiring a transportation plan if the child remains in the school of origin.
SB 45: Excluding students who transfer to homeschooling or nonaccredited private schools from the alternative calculation of graduation rates for virtual schools.
SB 47: Requiring school districts to publicly list the names and email addresses of current board members; authorizing local school board members to add new agenda items to board meeting discussions, ask questions or engage in discussion with members of the public during meetings and access school property; and the public may address the school board at meetings.
SB 48: Requiring school districts to demonstrate improvement in academic performance and be in compliance with federal and state statutes and rules and regulations to achieve or maintain accreditation.
SB 49: Requiring attendance center needs assessments to be conducted by the board and include input from board members, teachers, school site councils and administrators and that board members receive certain state assessment data and identify allocations of money in the district budget/summary.
SB 75: Establishing the education opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public school.
SB 76: Requiring employees to use the name and pronouns consistent with a student’s biological sex and birth certificate; and authorizing a cause of action for violations therefor.
SB 87: Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program; increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program; and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions.
SB 114: Authorizing nonpublic and virtual school students to participate in ancillary public school activities and making it unlawful for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) and school districts to discriminate against such students based on enrollment status.
SB 123: Providing state general funds for school meals programs and prohibiting local boards from collecting money for such meals.
SB 134: Authorizing school districts to request and receive an applicant teacher’s employment files from another school district if such teacher was previously employed by such other school district and establishing which school district is responsible for and the custodian of teacher employment files that are records under the Kansas Open Records Act.
SB 140: Requiring school districts to provide certain information on school district annual budget forms.
SB 142: Authorizing each school district to include a teacher representative as a nonvoting member of such district's board of education.
SB 154: Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours and students from using school district computers or devices to access social media platforms.
SB 159: Requiring school district budget forms and summaries to include all expenditures of bond proceeds.
SB 162: Requiring certain school district employees to receive training in seizure recognition and related first aid.
SB 163: Prohibiting school employment contracts from excluding documentation of disciplinary actions or behavioral corrective actions taken with regard to an employee.
SB 164: Prohibiting discriminatory practices on the basis of religion at public educational institutions and authorizing the attorney general to investigate violations and assess civil penalties under the Kansas act against discrimination.
SB 165: Requiring school district bond elections and other tax levy question submitted elections be held only on primary or general election dates and only permitting one such bond election to be conducted each calendar year.
SB 202: Defining teachers for purposes of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS); transferring teachers from the KPERS Act of 2015 to the KPERS Act of 2009.
Hearing on HB 2139
The House Committee on Education held a hearing for House Bill 2139 Monday, Feb. 10.
If passed, HB 2139 would increase the minimum expenditure amount for school districts for contracted goods and services without requiring sealed bids and the minimum expenditure amount for goods and services that the district superintendent may acquire on behalf of the school district.
Under current law, school districts are required to have sealed bids for goods and service contracts when the value of the goods and services is greater than $20,000. HB 2139 would increase this threshold to $50,000.
To read more about the bill, click here.
Hearing on SB 47
The Senate Committee on Education heard proponent and opponent testimony regarding Senate Bill 47 on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
If passed, SB 47 would require each local board of education to list each board member on the website of the district, including an email address for each member. Each district would be required to send this information to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), along with notifying the agency any time this information changes. KSDE would be required to maintain a public database of all local board members statewide on the agency’s website.
The bill would allow any member of a local board of education to add discussion of items under the category of new business at any school board meeting. Also, each meeting held by a local board of education would be required to include time for a public comment portion of the meeting, including those held virtually. The bill would allow members of the public to address the local board of education at regular school board meetings.
Additionally, the bill would allow a board of education of a school district or the board of trustees of any community college to pay funds from its general fund for membership in a non-profit organization that provides services to member districts. Finally, the bill would allow members of a local board of education to access school property, including school buildings and attendance centers, during school hours, or when there are school or community activities on the property.
Hearing on SB 45
The Senate Committee on Education held a hearing on Senate Bill 45 on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Under current law, virtual schools are accredited by the Kansas State Board of Education. For accreditation, the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for a virtual school is determined by only including students in virtual schools who have earned sufficient credits to be expended to graduate in the same school year as a student’s cohort at the time the student is enrolled in a virtual school.
SB 45 would exclude students from the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for those who were enrolled in a virtual school but transferred to homeschooling or a nonaccredited private school in Kansas or another state.
Hearing on SB 114
The Senate Committee on Education held a hearing on Senate Bill 114 on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
SB 114 would allow nonpublic school students and virtual school students to participate in ancillary activities, including pep rallies, award or honor ceremonies, lettering events, yearbook or other promotional functions or events honoring students of these activities. The bill would also provide that it would be unlawful for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) and any school district to discriminate against any nonpublic student or virtual school student for these activities.
Coming up
The Senate is adjourned until 9 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 14. The House is adjourned until 11 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 14.
A hearing for HB 2137 is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17 in the House Committee on Education.
Click here to see calendars and journals of the House and Senate, and agendas for committees. Click here for other useful links and information from KSDE.
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The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.gov or by 785-296-3201.