The best news from the session is the passage of House Substitute of Senate Bill 387. The bill includes pieces from several other bills. The full summary of the bill follows:
Appropriations
SB 387 provides $528M for the KSDE budget, which constitutes full Gannon funding. The Legislature will also provide a total $75.3M in special education state aid above the $528M appropriation for the base state special education budget. Districts will be required to transfer LOB funds attributable to their SPED weighting to their SPED fund and must use that funding for SPED expenses. One key point is this local effort is NOT counted as state aid for SPED. The bill modifies how the distribution of the $75.3M in new special education aid will be done. KSDE will provide further information.
Education Funding Task Force
The bill establishes the Education Funding Task Force. The task force will review and prepare to rewrite the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act (KSEEA) which is due to expire on July 1, 2027 (article regarding KSEEA history from 2020). The membership of the task force is specified in the bill. There will be 11 voting members and 4 ex-officio, non voting members. Membership is made up of legislators, current school staff, and KSDE staff. There are very specific requirements and expectations of the task force. The bill would also repeal the authorization of the Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force which was created in last year's legislative session and had one meeting prior to the start of the 2024 Legislative Session.
At-Risk Accountability Plan and Improvement Goals
The bill would establish starting in school year 24-25 ten selected school districts to participate in a two-year pilot program to establish at-risk student accountability plans and annual reporting systems of at-risk student performance and show longitudinal academic improvement of these students. At the start of the 2026 school year, all other districts will be required to participate. The bill specifies the requirements school districts must meet and consequences if the goals are not met. KSDE will select the pilot schools. Information will be forthcoming from KSDE.
School District Open Enrollment
The bill would require school districts to give priority to non-resident students who live in Kansas over non-resident students who live out of state. Non-resident students enrolled in the 2023-2024 school year will be permitted to continue enrollment as long as the student is in good standing. The bill also states that school districts are not responsible for transportation.
School District Building Closure
The bill would limit the legislative option to purchase school buildings to buildings that were used as attendance centers. The bill also allows the LLC to waive legislative action and allows districts to proceed if a response has not been received within 45 days from the Legislature. The bill also states a district can not deny purchase if the buyer is a non-public school.
Virtual Students
The bill authorizes students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in KSHSAA activities without a minimum enrollment requirement unless the school district board has that requirement for all other students who participate in the activity. The bill also changes virtual student part-time enrollment funding. Students would be funded on the portion of $5600.
Safe & Secure School Grant
The bill also includes provisions to continue the Safe & Secure Grants awarded to school districts. Cameras with enhanced software & AEDs are included in the new grant. There will continue to be a 50-50 match for those who are awarded grants.
Other legislation that was approved by the House and Senate:
Counting of students. The bill allows school districts to count students one of three ways. Current enrollment, previous year, or an average of the past two years.
Blueprint for Literacy. The bill requires the Board of Regents and State School Board to collaborate on preparing teachers going into education, and those already in the classroom in knowledge, of the Science of Reading. This is a long term commitment with an advisory board and several other requirements for schools in how we teach reading.
The bill authorizes schools to maintain certain emergency medication kits and to administer such medication in emergency situations.
If a student is placed in Foster Care that student will be identified as at-risk, making that student eligible for at-risk services and programs.
This was a summary of legislation that passed which dealt with education during the 2024 Legislative Session. There were many more bills introduced; some received hearings, many did not. Many of those bills that received hearings did not make it out of Committee and on to a vote in either the House or Senate. SB 387 contained several bills; some received hearings and passed out of one of the education committees, and others did not. Passing legislation is a complicated process.
We want to thank all of you that visited the Capitol to speak with Legislators, offer testimony (both oral & written), and meet with committees. Additionally, thank you to all of you who contacted Legislators this session to express your views on legislation! I really feel like it made a difference, especially on SB 387. Best to you as you conclude another school year and prepare for 2024-2025.