Legislators worked through scores of bills this week to set up dozens of conference committees for next week in anticipation of the first adjournment on April 1.
Here is what has happened on education-related bills followed by KASB:
Senate
SB 455, which would allow students to enroll in school districts where they are not residents, subject to capacity, was approved by the Senate on a 23-16 vote. KASB opposes this measure.
SB 496, which would require school boards guarantee parents’ rights, was approved, 24-15. KASB was neutral on this bill but opposes a more restrictive House bill.
SB 484, which excludes transgender students from participating on girls' teams, was approved 27-12. KASB opposes this bill.
SB 541, which would impose many new restrictions on government response to infections or contagious disease, including powers of school boards, was approved 24-14. KASB opposes this bill.
HB 2567, which allows districts to keep all federal impact aid rather than having a portion deducted under the school finance formula and changes the bond and interest aid program by removing Ft. Leavenworth from the calculation, was approved 39-0.
HB 2466, which seeks to promote the availability of computer science education in schools, was approved 27-11. KASB supported this bill.
SCR 1620, requiring a supermajority for new or increased state taxes, failed 25-14. Proposed constitutional amendments require two-thirds' majorities to advance, which is 27 votes in the 40-member Senate. KASB opposed this bill.
SCR 1621, which would repeal merit selection system of choosing Kansas Supreme Court justices, failed 26-13. KASB opposed this bill.
House
HB 2512, which includes the budget for K-12 education and several policy measures, won approval, 76-46.
During debate, a provision that required districts to fund a new program called Math Nation was changed to open the program to other virtual systems. Proponents of requiring Kansas school districts to use Math Nation to raise math test scores argued the state needs quick action on the issue, while opponents said the Legislature shouldn’t require districts to use a program that hadn’t been vetted by the State Board of Education. Opponents also noted many school districts have existing contracts to start or continue using standards-based programs to supplement approved math standards.
Some legislators were concerned that the adopted amendment focuses on virtual rather than in-person instruction; others questioned whether school districts with in-house math tutoring programs would have access to the $4 million Math Nation appropriation or whether other interested vendors could submit bids to tap into that funding, which remains in the bill.
An amendment by Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam, to increase special education funding by $68 million was initially approved. But a motion by Republicans to reconsider defeated that funding increase.
HB 2631, incentive pilot program for Career and Technical Education, approved 122-0.
HB 2615, allowing K-12 students to transfer to and attend school in any school district in the state, was approved 63-59. KASB opposes for the same reasons it opposes SB 455; believes local districts should make these enrollment decisions.
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