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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 1 (File 551, as amended by Senate "A")*
AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY IN EDUCATION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SUMMARY
§ 1 — PUBLISHING SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIPTS, EXPENDITURES,
AND STATISTICS
Requires SDE, starting by February 15, 2024, to annually publish each school district’s
receipts, expenditures, and statistics for the previous fiscal year; requires SDE, starting by
February 15, 2025, to prepare and publish the same data in a format that allows financial
comparisons between school districts and schools
§§ 2 & 3 — NEW BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER REQUIRED
TRAINING
Requires SDE to provide, and newly elected school board members to take, training on the
responsibilities and obligations of being a school board member
§§ 4 & 5 — ALLIANCE DISTRICTS
Expands what alliance district funding may be used for to include establishing a family
resource center in each elementary school under an alliance district’s jurisdiction; requires
SDE to publish each alliance district’s improvement plan
§ 6 — WHOLESOME SCHOOL MEALS PILOT PROGRAM
Requires SDE to administer a wholesome school meals pilot program to award five grants
to alliance districts to embed a professional chef in the district to assist school meal
programs
§ 7 — VIRTUAL REALITY STUDY
Requires SDE to study the use of virtual reality in grade 9-12 classroom instruction
§ 8 — EDUCATOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Requires SDE to establish an educator apprenticeship initiative to enable students in
teacher preparation programs to gain paid classroom teaching experience
§§ 9 & 10 — SDE REVIEW OF SCHOOL BOARDS’ INCREA SING
EDUCATOR DIVERSITY PLANS
Requires each school board to (1) submit its increasing educator diversity plan (referred to
in current law as the minority educator recruitment plan) to the education commissioner
by March 15, 2024, for review and approval and (2) implement its approved plan
beginning with the 2024-25 school year
§§ 11 & 18 — ASPIRING EDUCATORS DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Changes the name of the minority teacher candidate scholarship program to the aspiring
educators diversity scholarship program, reduces the maximum annual grant amount
from $20,000 to $10,000, and requires SDE to hire four staff members to administer the
program
§§ 12-14 — EDUCATOR DIVERSITY POLICY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL
Changes the name of the Minority Teacher Recruitment Oversight Council to the
Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council and the term “minority” student
to “diverse” student
§ 15 — ADJUNCT PROFESSOR PERMIT
Allows SBE to issue adjunct professor permits to allow part-time nontenured college
instructors to work part-time for a school district; establishes employment limits and
criteria
§ 16 — ADDING CURSIVE WRITING AND WORLD LANGUAGES TO
THE MODEL CURRICULUM
Adds cursive writing and world language to the K to eight model curriculum that SDE is
currently developing
§ 17 — HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CREDIT FOR CREDIT
RECOVERY PROGRAMS
Allows school boards to award high school graduation credit for completing an approved
credit recovery program
§ 19 — USE OF CERTAIN OPEN CHOICE FUNDS
Changes terminology describing excess Open Choice funds from “nonlapsing” to
“additional,” limits the amount of these funds for one earmarked use, and allows any
remaining funds to lapse
§§ 20-23 & 86 — IMPLEMENTATION OF READIN G MODELS OR
PROGRAMS
Requires a school board that received a waiver from using one of the recommended reading
models to implement the alternative model under the waiver by the 2024-25 school year;
allows school boards without a waiver, but that have not adopted a recommended model, to
partially implement a recommended model over time; eliminates a provision that allows
the commissioner to grant a school board more time for implementation due to insufficient
resources or funding; extends a notification deadline
§ 24 — REVIEW OF ISSUES RELATED TO IMPLEMENTING THE
READING MODEL OR PRO GRAM
Requires SDE’s literacy center to review issues related to implementation of the reading
curriculum models and programs
§ 25 — STATEWIDE MASTERY TEST AUDIT
Requires the education commissioner to audit statewide mastery test and local testing
requirements and preparation and administration time
§§ 26 & 27 — LOCAL FOOD FOR SCHOOLS INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Creates in DoAg the local food for schools incentive program to reimburse eligible school
boards for the purchase of locally or regionally sourced food for school meal programs;
establishes reimbursement rates for locally- and regionally-sourced food; outlines the 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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grant process and requires DoAg to develop guidelines; redirects unexpended CT Grown
for CT Kids Grant Program funds to the new program
§§ 28 & 33 — AEROSPACE AND AVIATION TRAINING
Allows school boards to partner with local businesses to provide aerospace and aviation
apprenticeship training programs to students; requires creation of a working group to
study the feasibility of an aviation and aerospace high school
§ 29 — MODEL PARAEDU CATOR TRAINING PROGR AM FOR HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS
Requires the education commissioner, by January 1, 2024, and in consultation with the
School Paraeducator Advisory Council, to develop a model paraeducator training program
for high school students
§ 30 — DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON SCHO OL OPTIONS
Requires school boards to annually distribute information on vocational, technical,
technological, and postsecondary education school options to middle school students
§ 31 — HIGH SCHOOL PRE-APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM
Requires SDE, by January 1, 2024, to establish a pre-apprenticeship grant program for
boards of education that include DOL-registered pre-apprenticeship programs in their
high school curriculum
§§ 32 & 33 — EXPANSION OF DUAL CREDIT AND DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS
Requires SDE, in partnership with boards of education and public higher education
institutions, to expand opportunities for dual credit and dual enrollment for high school
students, including courses required for health care occupations
§§ 34 & 35 — SCHOOL NURSES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS
Exempts school nurses and nurse practitioners from the work experience requirement in
state regulations; requires employing boards of education to provide 15 hours of
professional development biennially to school nurses and nurse practitioners beginning
with the 2024-25 school year
§ 36 — COMMISSION TO STUDY EDUCATION FUN DING AND
ACCOUNTABILITY MEASU RES
Creates a new commission to study various educational issues including funding for local
school districts, charter schools, and magnet schools and related accountability measures
§ 37 — APRIL ENROLLMENT REPORT
Requires local and regional boards of education, magnet school operators, and charter
school governing councils to annually report enrollment data as of April 1 to SDE
§§ 38-40 — RENAMING AND REVISING THE ALLIANCE DISTRICTS
Renames the alliance districts the educational reform districts and reduces the number of
these designated districts to 20; makes conforming changes in ECS and tiered PILOT
grants law
§ 41 — ALLIANCE DISTRICT HOLDBACK FOR MINORITY TEACHER
PROGRAM FUNDING
Requires SDE to calculate alliance districts’ funding holdback for minority teacher
residency candidates using a new formula for FY 24; limits this holdback to FY 24 only 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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§ 42 — INDOOR AIR QUALITY WORKING GROUP
Expands charge of, and extends deadline for, the school indoor air quality working group
§§ 43 & 44 — SCHOOL INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROGRAM
Requires more frequent indoor air quality inspections; requires the inspection reports to be
submitted to DAS on a form the agency creates
§ 45 — OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE COMFOR T RANGE GUIDELINES
Requires DPH to develop temperature comfort range guidelines for school buildings
§ 46 — PATHWAYS IN TECHNOLOGY EARLY COLL EGE HIGH
SCHOOL PROGRAM GRANT
Requires SDE to create a grant for new or expanded pathways in technology early college
high school programs in alliance districts
§ 47 — SCHOOL CLIMATE DEFINITION
Defines “school climate” and related terms
§§ 47 & 48 — SCHOOL CLIMATE STANDAR DS AND MODEL POLICY
Requires the Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative
to (1) develop school climate standards based on national guidelines and (2) create a
uniform bullying complaint form; requires SDE and boards of education to post the form
on their websites and in their handbooks
§ 49 — CONNECTICUT SCHOOL CLIMATE POLICY
Phases in the requirement for boards of education to adopt and implement a new
Connecticut school climate policy over the next three school years
§§ 50-52 & 70 — SCHOOL CLIMATE PERSONNEL
Requires each school district to have a school climate coordinator and each school to have a
school climate specialist and a school climate committee
§ 53 — SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
Requires each school climate committee to annually administer a school climate survey
§§ 54 & 71 — SCHOOL CLIMATE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Requires the creation of a school climate improvement plan in each school that aligns with
the Connecticut school climate standards and includes protocols and supports to enhance
classroom safety and address challenging behavior
§ 55 — TRAINING RESOURCES
Requires each local and regional board of education to provide training and resources for
school employees on school climate, social and emotional learning, and restorative
practices; repeals a law requiring the statewide safe school climate resource network
§§ 56-69 — TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING CHAN GES
Makes technical and conforming changes
§§ 72 & 73 — SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
Requires the MOU between a school board that assigns an SRO to its schools and the
SRO’s local law enforcement agency specify the SRO’s duties and procedures; requires
school boards to post the MOUs on their website and in the SRO’s assigned school; and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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requires each SRO to submit a report for each investigation or behavioral intervention the
SRO conducts
§ 74 — RESTORATIVE PRACTICES RESPONSE POLICY
Requires school boards to adopt a restorative practices response policy
§ 75 — SCHOOL DISCIPLINE PRACTICES WORKING GROUP
Requires the SDE commissioner to establish a working group, under the Connecticut
School Discipline Collaborative, to study current school discipline practices and report the
study’s results to the Education Committee
§§ 76-82 — RECOMMEND ATIONS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE
POLICY AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONCERNIN G EDUCATION
Makes various changes in the education statutes governing suspension and expulsion
§§ 83 & 84 — GRANTS FOR THE HIRING OF SCHOOL SOCIAL
WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGIS TS, COUNSELORS, NURSES, LICENSED
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS, AND SCHOOL MENTAL
HEALTH SPECIALISTS
Pushes out by one year the dates by which SDE must administer the school mental health
therapist grant program; removes the requirement that grant recipients in both programs
refund unexpended grant amounts to SDE; adjusts education commissioner reporting
dates
§ 85 — GRANT FOR DELIVERY OF STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES
Pushes out by one year the dates by which SDE must administer a grant program to
provide student mental health services to certain youth camp and summer program
operators; removes the requirement that grant recipients refund unexpended grant
amounts to SDE
§§ 86 & 87 — REPEALER
Repeals laws containing school climate-related requirements for school boards and SDE
that conflict with the bill’s provisions
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to education laws. A section-by-
section analysis follows.
*Senate Amendment “A” is a strike-all amendment that replaces the
underlying bill (File 551). Among other things, it removes provisions on
(1) field experience for student teachers and (2) limits on the sale of
certain foods in schools.
§ 1 — PUBLISHING SCH OOL DISTRICT RECEIPT S,
EXPENDITURES, AND ST ATISTICS 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Requires SDE, starting by February 15, 2024, to annually publish each school district’s
receipts, expenditures, and statistics for the previous fiscal year; requires SDE, starting by
February 15, 2025, to prepare and publish the same data in a format that allows financial
comparisons between school districts and schools
By law, school superintendents must make returns of the school
district’s receipts, expenditures, and statistics to the education
commissioner by September 1 of each year while allowing for revisions
up to December 31. The returns must be made pursuant to the
commissioner’s instruction and certified by an independent public
accountant by December 31. The bill requires that the returns be “filed”
rather than “made.”
The bill also requires State Department of Education (SDE), by
February 15, 2024, and each following year, to publish on its website the
data in the required reports and returns by education program type,
expense function, expense object, and funding source. Sources must
include federal, combined state and local, and combined private and
other sources for the school and district level. SDE must also develop
and publish a guide with definitions for each category of expenditure
and funding source.
Additionally, the bill requires SDE, beginning by February 15, 2025,
and each following year, to develop and publish (presumably, on its
website) the data mentioned above in a format that allows financial
comparisons between school districts and schools, including student
enrollment and demographic statistics as of October 1 of the school year
in which the reports and returns were filed.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 2 & 3 — NEW BOARD OF EDUCATI ON MEMBER REQUIRED
TRAINING
Requires SDE to provide, and newly elected school board members to take, training on the
responsibilities and obligations of being a school board member
The bill requires SDE to develop an annual training program that at
least includes the role and responsibilities of a school board member,
duties and obligations of a board of education, and school district
budgeting and education finance. When developing the training, SDE
may collaborate with an association that represents Connecticut boards 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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of education and accept gifts, grants, and donations, including in-kind
donations.
The bill requires SDE to begin offering the annual training by July 1,
2023. The first-time elected school board members must complete the
training at a time and in a way SDE determines, but within one year
after assuming office.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 4 & 5 — ALLIANCE DISTRICTS
Expands what alliance district funding may be used for to include establishing a family
resource center in each elementary school under an alliance district’s jurisdiction; requires
SDE to publish each alliance district’s improvement plan
The bill expands the items that alliance district funding may be spent
on to include establishing a family resource center in each elementary
school under the school board’s jurisdiction. Family resource centers
provide child care services, remedial educational and literacy services,
families-in-training programs, and support services to parents getting
temporary family assistance or other parents in need.
By law, alliance districts must spend their alliance funds (1) according
to the plan submitted with the application; (2) on the minority candidate
certification, retention, and residency program; (3) on Education Cost
Sharing (ECS) spending requirements; and (4) for any other items
allowed under SDE guidelines. The bill specifies that the plan is an
“improvement plan” (see Background).
The bill also requires SDE to publish on its website the improvement
plan each alliance district must submit with its application for the
alliance portion of its ECS aid.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Alliance Districts
Under current law, there are 36 alliance districts that have been
designated for five years, beginning with FY 23. The designation applies
to (1) the 33 school districts with the lowest accountability index (AI)
scores and (2) three districts that were designated in previous years but 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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that may not now be among the 33 with the lowest scores (see below).
State law allows the education commissioner to withhold some of an
alliance district’s ECS aid until the district has submitted a satisfactory
application and improvement plan.
(§§ 38-40 of the bill make additional changes to alliance districts,
including decreasing their number (see below).)
Background — Accountability Index Scores
By law, the “accountability index score” for a school district or an
individual school is the score resulting from multiple weighted
measures that (1) include the mastery test scores (i.e., the performance
index score) and high school graduation rates and (2) may include
academic growth over time, attendance and chronic absenteeism,
postsecondary education and career readiness, enrollment in and
graduation from higher education institutions and postsecondary
education programs, civics and arts education, and physical fitness
(CGS § 10-223e(a)).
§ 6 — WHOLESOME SCHO OL MEALS PILOT PROGR AM
Requires SDE to administer a wholesome school meals pilot program to award five grants
to alliance districts to embed a professional chef in the district to assist school meal
programs
For FYs 24 to 26, the bill requires SDE to administer a wholesome
school meals pilot program that awards five grants to embed a
professional chef in five alliance districts. The chef must help school
meal programs build food service staff capacity, improve meal quality,
increase diner satisfaction, streamline operations, and establish a
financially viable school meal program.
The bill requires SDE to partner with an organization that specializes
in placing chefs for the pilot program’s purposes.
Under the bill, an alliance district may apply for the grant by October
1, 2023, on an application the department sets. SDE must review each
application and award five grants. Each grant recipient must receive an
annual $150,000 grant in each year of the pilot. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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By January 1, 2027, SDE must report on the school meals pilot
program to the Education and Appropriations committees.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 7 — VIRTUAL REALITY STUDY
Requires SDE to study the use of virtual reality in grade 9-12 classroom instruction
The bill requires SDE to study the use of virtual reality as part of
grade nine-12 classroom instruction. The study must include at least the
following: (1) a review of best practices for using virtual reality in
classroom instruction, (2) appropriate safety measures for its use, and
(3) ways that local or regional boards of education may responsibly
invest in and purchase virtual reality equipment and programs.
SDE must report its findings and any recommendations to the
Education Committee by January 1, 2025.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 8 — EDUCATOR APPRE NTICESHIP PROGRAM
Requires SDE to establish an educator apprenticeship initiative to enable students in
teacher preparation programs to gain paid classroom teaching experience
The bill requires SDE to establish an educator apprenticeship
initiative for FY 24, and each following fiscal year, to enable students
enrolled in educator preparation programs, residency programs, or
alternate route to certification (ARC) programs to get classroom
teaching experience while working towards becoming full-time,
certified teachers after successfully completing the programs.
The bill also requires SDE to develop (1) participation guidelines for
educator preparation programs, residency programs, and ARC
programs included under the initiative; (2) administrative
implementation guidelines that are consistent with federal laws and
regulations; and (3) compensation levels for students enrolled in any of
the three types of programs included under the educator apprenticeship
initiative. Under the bill, SDE must seek state Department of Labor
certification for the initiative to leverage federal grants and funding. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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By law, participants in an apprenticeship are paid (CGS § 31-22m).
Currently, teacher residency program participants are paid (CGS § 10-
156gg), but the educator preparation and ARC program participants are
not.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Residency Programs and Apprenticeship Participation
Under the bill, the education commissioner may permit a student
enrolled in a residency program to participate in the apprenticeship
program upon the request of the superintendent for the school district
where the student is assigned for the residency program. Upon
successfully completing a residency program and with the
superintendent’s recommendation, the State Board of Education (SBE)
must issue an initial educator certificate to the student, and the student
is exempted from the statutory teacher subject areas assessment
requirements.
§§ 9 & 10 — SDE REVIEW OF SCHOOL BO ARDS’ INCREASING
EDUCATOR DIVERSITY P LANS
Requires each school board to (1) submit its increasing educator diversity plan (referred to
in current law as the minority educator recruitment plan) to the education commissioner
by March 15, 2024, for review and approval and (2) implement its approved plan
beginning with the 2024-25 school year
Under current law, every local and regional board of education (i.e.,
school board) must develop and implement a “minority educator
recruitment” plan for each school district to give its students
opportunities to interact with teachers from other racial, ethnic, and
economic backgrounds to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation.
The bill changes the plan’s name to the “increasing educator diversity”
plan and requires each school board to submit its plan to the education
commissioner by March 15, 2024, for review and approval.
The bill requires the commissioner to review each increasing
educator diversity plan. She may approve it or return the plan to the
school board with instructions to revise it, in which case the school
board must revise the plan by May 15, 2024, according to the
instructions and resubmit the plan for the commissioner’s approval. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Beginning with the school year starting July 1, 2024 (i.e., the 2024-25
school year), school boards must implement their commissioner-
approved plans and post them on their websites. The boards must also
make the plans available on their websites.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 11 & 18 — ASPIRING EDUCATORS DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM
Changes the name of the minority teacher candidate scholarship program to the aspiring
educators diversity scholarship program, reduces the maximum annual grant amount
from $20,000 to $10,000, and requires SDE to hire four staff members to administer the
program
Under current law, SDE administers a minority teacher candidate
scholarship program that gives an annual scholarship to “minority”
students who:
1. graduated from a public high school in a “priority school district”
(i.e., generally, districts whose students receive low standardized
test scores and have high levels of poverty (CGS § 10-266p(a)))
and
2. are enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a four-year
higher education institution.
The bill renames the program as the aspiring educators diversity
scholarship program. It also makes a conforming change by replacing
references to “minority” students with references to “diverse” students.
(The terms have the same meaning under current law and the bill.)
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Scholarship Grant Changes
The bill reduces the maximum annual scholarship amount that a
student may receive from $20,000 to $10,000. It adds the requirement
that scholarship recipients be in good standing in their teacher
preparation programs.
It also requires the education commissioner to develop scholarship
repayment criteria for recipients who are not employed as certified 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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teachers by a local or regional board of education following graduation
from a teacher preparation program. Any amounts repaid to the
department must be deposited in the General Fund.
Scholarship Administration Policy
The bill modifies the scholarship administration policy that the law
required SDE to develop by January 1, 2023. By law, the policy must
address the payment and distribution of the scholarships. The bill
specifies the policy must include payment and distribution through the
teacher preparation programs the recipients are enrolled in.
Existing law also requires that the policy address notifying high
school students in priority school districts about the scholarship
program. The bill adds that this must include the opportunity to apply
for the program’s scholarship while enrolled in high school and before
graduation if the student will be enrolled in a teacher preparation
program during the following fall semester at a four-year higher
education institution. (The bill does not specify a deadline for SDE to
update this policy.)
Reporting Requirement
The bill requires SDE, starting by January 1, 2024, to annually develop
a report that includes annual data on the race and ethnicity of the
scholarship recipients and the teacher preparation programs in which
they are enrolled. SDE must submit the report to the Education
Committee.
Program Staff (§ 18)
The bill requires the Office of Policy and Management, in
consultation with SDE, to reclassify at least four existing unfilled
positions at SDE to administer the aspiring educators diversity
scholarship program and implement recruitment and retention
programs for diverse educators. Under the bill, the reclassification is for
FY 24, and SDE must use the funds appropriated to its personal services
account to fill four reclassified staff positions.
The bill specifies that one reclassified position must require 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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experience in communications, be placed in the Talent Office, and be
responsible for marketing the scholarship program and the recruitment
and retention programs.
§§ 12-14 — EDUCATOR DIVERSITY POLICY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL
Changes the name of the Minority Teacher Recruitment Oversight Council to the
Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council and the term “minority” student
to “diverse” student
The bill renames the Minority Teacher Recruitment Oversight
Council as the Increasing Educator Diversity Policy Oversight Council.
Under existing law, the council is a seven-member body within SDE
charged with advising the education commissioner on ways to
encourage minority students and professionals from other fields to
pursue teaching careers. The bill makes related changes by replacing the
term “minority” with “diverse” without changing its underlying
meaning (see § 11 above). It also changes “teachers” to “educators.”
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 15 — ADJUNCT PROFESSOR PERMIT
Allows SBE to issue adjunct professor permits to allow part-time nontenured college
instructors to work part-time for a school district; establishes employment limits and
criteria
Under existing law, SBE may issue adjunct instructor permits
allowing a person with specialized training, experience, or expertise in
the arts to teach in certain interdistrict arts magnet high schools (CGS §
10-145n). Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, the bill allows SBE to
also issue adjunct professor permits to allow part-time nontenured
college instructors to be employed by a school board and work part-time
for a school district.
The bill limits eligibility to instructors who work at either a public or
independent higher education institution in Connecticut. It allows
permit holders to teach in public high schools for up to 25 classroom
instructional hours per week as part of college and career readiness
programming, including an early college experience program,
advanced placement classes, career and technical education, and
International Baccalaureate, dual enrollment, dual credit, and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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apprenticeship programs.
Under the bill, the adjunct professor permit is valid for three years,
and the education commissioner may renew it for good cause upon the
request of the superintendent of the employing district.
While working, permit holders must be under the supervision of the
superintendent or a principal, administrator, or supervisor designated
by the superintendent who must regularly observe, guide, and evaluate
the permit holder’s performance. Additionally, school boards that
employ the permit holders must provide a program to assist them that
includes academic and classroom support services.
The bill also requires permit holders to become members of the
applicable exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees and be
subject to the same bargaining contract unless otherwise agreed to by
the employing school board and the union. The bill prohibits permit
holders from filling a position that will displace a certified teacher
already employed at the school.
Finally, the bill makes these permit holders ineligible for membership
in the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) solely due to the permit, but
if permit holders already have regular SBE-issued teacher’s certificates,
then they cannot be excluded from the TRS.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 16 — ADDING CURSIVE WRITING AND WORLD LANGUAGES TO
THE MODEL CURRICULUM
Adds cursive writing and world language to the K to eight model curriculum that SDE is
currently developing
The law requires SDE to develop a model kindergarten to grade eight
curriculum by January 1, 2024, that school boards may use. The model
curriculum must be rigorous, age-appropriate, meet state content
standards, follow the state’s required program of instruction, and
integrate several specific additional topics throughout the curriculum
(see Background).
The bill adds cursive writing and world languages beginning in 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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kindergarten to the list of additional topics that must be included. It also
specifies that school boards may choose to use all or parts of the
curriculum. State law does not mandate that districts use a specific
curriculum.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Required Program of Instruction and K to eight
Model Curriculum Additional Topics
By law, the required program of instruction includes, among other
subjects, the arts; health and safety, including CPR instruction; language
arts, including reading and writing; mathematics; physical education;
science; and social studies, including citizenship, geography,
government, history, Holocaust and genocide awareness, African
American and Black studies, Puerto Rican and Latino studies, Native
American studies (effective July 1, 2023), and Asian American and
Pacific Islander studies (effective July 1, 2025) (CGS § 10-16b).
The additional topics that the model kindergarten to grade eight
curriculum must currently include are: (1) Native American studies; (2)
Asian American and Pacific Islander studies; (3) lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and other sexual orientations and gender identities
studies; (4) climate change; (5) personal financial management and
financial literacy; (6) the military service and experience of American
veterans; (7) civics and citizenship, including instruction in digital
citizenship and media literacy; (8) the principles of social-emotional
learning; and (9) racism.
§ 17 — HIGH SCHOOL G RADUATION CREDIT FOR CREDIT
RECOVERY PROGRAMS
Allows school boards to award high school graduation credit for completing an approved
credit recovery program
The bill allows local and regional school boards to award high school
graduation credit for completing an education commissioner-approved
credit recovery program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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§ 19 — USE OF CERTAIN OPEN CHOICE FUNDS
Changes terminology describing excess Open Choice funds from “nonlapsing” to
“additional,” limits the amount of these funds for one earmarked use, and allows any
remaining funds to lapse
The bill makes several changes to excess funding for the Open Choice
program (see Background). By March 1 each year, existing law requires
the education commissioner to determine whether the number of
students enrolled in Open Choice is lower than the number that
appropriated funds anticipated. If the enrollment is below this number,
then she must use the additional funds in specific ways.
First, she must use up to $500,000 of these funds for supplemental
grants for Open Choice receiving districts on a prorated basis for each
out-of-district student who is one of at least nine other out-of-district
students attending the same school, up to $1,000 per student.
Then, any remaining unspent Open Choice funds must be used for
the following purposes: (1) the second $500,000 for the State Education
Resource Center to provide professional development to certified
employees and other school personnel in Open Choice districts
receiving students and (2) any remaining funds for wrap-around
services for students participating in Open Choice, including tutoring,
family support, and experiential learning.
The bill limits the wrap-around earmark for these funds to $2 million
a year. It also eliminates terms and phrasing that describe the program’s
excess funds as “nonlapsing” or “not lapsing” and instead refers to the
funds as “additional.” By removing the term “nonlapsing,” the bill
allows any funds remaining after the specified uses mentioned above to
lapse back into the General Fund.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Open Choice
Open Choice is a voluntary interdistrict attendance program that
allows students from large urban districts to attend suburban schools
and vice versa on a space-available basis. Its purpose is to reduce racial,
ethnic, and economic isolation; improve academic achievement; and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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provide public school choice. In consultation with regional educational
service centers, receiving districts determine whether to participate in
the program and how many seats to make available to students (CGS §
10-266aa).
§§ 20-23 & 86 — IMPLEMENTATION OF READIN G MODELS OR
PROGRAMS
Requires a school board that received a waiver from using one of the recommended reading
models to implement the alternative model under the waiver by the 2024-25 school year;
allows school boards without a waiver, but that have not adopted a recommended model, to
partially implement a recommended model over time; eliminates a provision that allows
the commissioner to grant a school board more time for implementation due to insufficient
resources or funding; extends a notification deadline
The law requires SDE’s Center for Literacy Research and Reading
Success director to review and approve at least five reading curriculum
models or programs for boards by July 1, 2022. The models or programs
must be (1) evidence- and scientifically-based and (2) focused on
competency in the following reading areas: oral language, phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, rapid automatic name or letter
name fluency, and reading comprehension. By law, beginning with the
school year that starts July 1, 2023, each school board generally must
implement one of five approved reading curriculum models or
programs for grades pre-kindergarten to three.
The bill narrows the scope of the reading curriculum models or
programs from grades pre-kindergarten to three to kindergarten to
three.
Waiver Implementation
Under current law, school boards may request a waiver from the SDE
commissioner to use an alternative reading curriculum model or
program instead of an approved one. The bill specifies that school
boards that receive a waiver must implement their alternative models
or programs according to their waivers’ provisions starting with the
school year beginning July 1, 2024 (the 2024-25 school year).
It also eliminates a provision that allows the commissioner to grant
more time for implementation to a school board that (1) shows it has
insufficient resources or funding for implementation and (2) 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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demonstrates ongoing efforts to implement a model or program.
Partial Implementation for School Board Without Waivers
The bill requires boards that have not been granted a waiver and have
not fully implemented one of the SDE-approved reading models or
programs by the 2023-24 school year to begin partially implementing
one of the models or programs as long as the board fully implements it
for the school year starting July 1, 2025 (the 2025-26 school year), and
each following year.
Notice to SDE on Chosen Model or Program
Beginning July 1, 2023, current law requires each school board to
notify the literacy center every two years about which model or program
it is implementing. The bill extends this deadline to July 1, 2025.
It correspondingly extends the deadline, from September 1, 2023, to
September 1, 2025, for the literacy center to receive and publicly report
on the models and programs that school boards have reported they are
implementing.
Other Provisions
The bill repeals the law that requires SDE to have a director of reading
initiatives (§ 86) and makes conforming and technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 24 — REVIEW OF ISSUES RELATED TO IMPLE MENTING THE
READING MODEL OR PRO GRAM
Requires SDE’s literacy center to review issues related to implementation of the reading
curriculum models and programs
The bill requires SDE’s literacy center, in consultation with the
Reading Leadership Implementation Council, to review issues related
to the school boards’ implementation of the comprehensive reading
curriculum models or programs. The review must include:
1. an examination of providing technical assistance to boards that
have been denied a waiver;
2. an examination of the impact of SDE’s science of reading master 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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class (see Background) that uses all of the components of reading,
such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension; and
3. upon completion of the SDE’s independent impact evaluation, a
determination of how to scale it for use to develop educators who
are ready and able to support individual student learning and the
science of reading.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Background — Science of Reading Masterclass
SDE’s science of reading masterclass offers professional learning for
educators from participating districts. The first masterclass began in
2022 with 11 participating districts and was funded with American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The masterclass is a statewide
professional learning program co-created with the Connecticut
Association of School Superintendents to develop local capacity for
science of reading and components of comprehensive K to three literacy
instruction. Components include phonics, phonemic awareness,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
§ 25 — STATEWIDE MASTERY TEST AUDIT
Requires the education commissioner to audit statewide mastery test and local testing
requirements and preparation and administration time
The bill requires the education commissioner, by January 1, 2025, and
within available appropriations, to audit state and local testing
requirements and administration. The commissioner must submit a
report on the audit to the Appropriations and Education committees by
this date.
The audit must focus on the following:
1. the statewide mastery examination (see Background) and local
standardized assessments used to monitor student and district
academic progress and achievement;
2. the amount of time devoted to student preparation or educator 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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instruction for the statewide mastery exam and the local
assessments, including the amount of time taken away from
regular instruction; and
3. recommendations about any limitations on the amount of time
that may be devoted to administering these exams and
assessments.
Additionally, the bill specifies that the audit must comply with
requirements in federal law for grant applications for state assessments
and related activities (20 U.S.C. §§ 6361 to 6363) so that the
commissioner may apply for a grant to do the audit and related
activities under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; see
Background).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Statewide Mastery Exams
Public school students statewide must take the following SBE-
approved mastery exams that measure essential and grade-appropriate
skills:
1. for grades three through eight, exams measuring reading,
writing, or mathematics skills;
2. for grades five, eight, and 11, exams measuring science skills; and
3. for students in grade 11, a nationally recognized, SBE-approved
college readiness assessment (e.g., the SAT) measuring reading,
writing and mathematics skills (CGS § 10-14n(a)).
Background — ESSA
Among other things, this federal law requires every state to measure
performance in reading, math, and science. Each state determines how
students are assessed. Every school in each state must inform parents
about their standards and their results (P.L. 114-95).
Background — Related Bill
HB 6762 (File 535, as amended by House “A,” § 5) has an identical 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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requirement.
§§ 26 & 27 — LOCAL FOOD FOR SCHOOLS INCE NTIVE PROGRAM
Creates in DoAg the local food for schools incentive program to reimburse eligible school
boards for the purchase of locally or regionally sourced food for school meal programs;
establishes reimbursement rates for locally- and regionally-sourced food; outlines the
grant process and requires DoAg to develop guidelines; redirects unexpended CT Grown
for CT Kids Grant Program funds to the new program
Beginning FY 24 and each year after, the bill requires the Department
of Agriculture (DoAg), in consultation with SDE, to administer the local
food for schools incentive program to reimburse school boards for the
purchase of locally sourced or regionally sourced food that may be used
in an eligible school meal program.
Under the bill, an eligible school board is entitled to reimbursement
payments in (1) accordance with the guidelines the bill requires to be
developed and (2) amounts equal to (a) one-half of the board’s
expenditures for locally sourced foods, and (b) one-third of the board’s
expenditures for regionally sourced foods. An “eligible board of
education” means a board of education that is participating in the
National School Lunch Program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Definitions
Under the bill:
1. “Eligible meal program” means a meal program provided by an
eligible school board to its students or a meal provided as part of
the board’s participation in the National School Lunch Program,
School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Option, After
School Snack Program, Summer Food Service Program, or the At-
Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care
Food Program that the United States Department of Agriculture
administers.
2. “Locally sourced food” means produce and other farm products
that have a traceable point of origin within Connecticut that are
grown or produced at, or sold by, a local farm and includes, but 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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is not limited to, value-added dairy, fish, pork, beef, poultry,
eggs, fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed foods. A “local
farm” means a farm, farmers’ cooperative, food hub, or
wholesale distributor located in Connecticut.
3. “Regionally sourced food” means produce and other farm
products that have a traceable point of origin within New York,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, or
Maine that are grown or produced at, or sold by, a regional farm
and includes, but is not limited to, value-added dairy, fish, pork,
beef, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed
foods. “Regional farm” means a farm, farmers’ cooperative, food
hub or wholesale distributor located one of the six states
mentioned above.
Program Reimbursement Grant Process
Under existing law, DoAg must receive reimbursement payment
requests from eligible school boards similarly to how the department
receives applications under the existing law for school meal programs.
Each eligible school board must keep its expenditure records for all
locally sourced and regionally sourced food, as well as documentation
confirming the food’s origin as DoAg requires. Boards must also submit
these records, as well as the documentation, when DoAg requires it for
review.
In order to be eligible for reimbursement, the locally or regionally
sourced food must comply with the existing school meal nutrition
standards.
Guidelines
The bill requires DoAg to develop guidelines that:
1. establish a maximum reimbursement amount based on total
student enrollment for each eligible school board,
2. help eligible school boards participate in the program, and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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3. promote geographic, social, economic, and racial equity, which
may include a preference for socially disadvantaged farmers, as
defined in federal law.
Program Survey
The bill requires DoAg to develop a survey to be distributed annually
to any school board that gets reimbursement payments under the
program. The survey must be designed to collect information to help the
department implement and improve the program.
Supplemental Grants
The bill allows DoAg, within available appropriations, to give
supplemental grants to eligible school boards in addition to the
reimbursement payments. The supplemental grant funds may be used
for buying kitchen equipment, engaging with school nutrition or farm-
to-school consultants, or training relating to the processing, preparation,
and serving of locally and regionally sourced food. When awarding
supplemental grants, DoAg must give priority to an eligible school
board for a town designated as an alliance district.
Related Provisions
Under the bill, beginning with FY 24, the reimbursement payments
must be reduced proportionately if the total amount for reimbursement
payments calculated in that year exceeds the amount appropriated for
reimbursements for that year. Additionally, any unexpended funds
appropriated for the reimbursement grants do not lapse at the end of
the fiscal year; they instead remain available for expenditure during the
next fiscal year.
DoAg may accept gifts, grants and donations, including in-kind
donations, for the administration of the local food for schools incentive
program and to implement the bill’s requirements.
Reporting Requirement
Beginning by January 1, 2025, DoAg must annually submit a report
on the local food for schools program to the Education Committee. The
report must include an accounting of the funds appropriated to and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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received by the department for the program, descriptions of the
reimbursement payments made, and an evaluation of the program.
Remaining Funds From the CT Grown for CT Kids Program (§ 27)
Beginning with FY 24, the bill also requires that any unexpended
funds from the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Program be used to
administer the local food for schools incentive program created under
the bill. The CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Program helps school boards
develop farm-to-school programs to increase the availability of local
foods in child nutrition programs and encourages educators to use
hands-on educational techniques to teach students about nutrition and
farm-to-school connections.
§§ 28 & 33 — AEROSPACE AND AVIATION TRAINING
Allows school boards to partner with local businesses to provide aerospace and aviation
apprenticeship training programs to students; requires creation of a working group to
study the feasibility of an aviation and aerospace high school
The bill allows a board of education to partner with local employers
in the aviation or aerospace industry to develop and offer an
apprenticeship training program for students within its school district.
Under the bill, the apprenticeship training program must give
students (1) on-site training where they learn immediate job skills and
earn course credits, (2) information on the CT Aero Tech School for
Aviation Maintenance Technicians’ educational programs, and (3) help
completing the school’s admissions application.
The bill requires a school board that offers this apprenticeship
program to start annually reporting to the Education Committee within
60 days after the first student cohort completes the program. The report
must include the number of students who (1) participated in and
completed the program and (2) enrolled in the CT Aero Tech School for
Aviation Maintenance Technicians after doing so.
§ 29 — MODEL PARAEDU CATOR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HIG H
SCHOOL STUDENTS
Requires the education commissioner, by January 1, 2024, and in consultation with the
School Paraeducator Advisory Council, to develop a model paraeducator training program
for high school students 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill requires the SDE commissioner, by January 1, 2024, and in
consultation with the School Paraeducator Advisory Council, to (1)
develop a model program for paraeducator training for students in
grades nine to 12 that would qualify them to work as paraeducators
after graduating from high school and (2) distribute the program to each
board of education.
The bill allows school boards to adopt the program. After doing so,
they must annually report to the Education Committee, beginning
within one year after adoption, on the number of students who (1)
participated and completed the program by grade and (2) found
employment as a paraeducator after graduation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 30 — DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON SCHO OL OPTIONS
Requires school boards to annually distribute information on vocational, technical,
technological, and postsecondary education school options to middle school students
Under current law, each local and regional school board must require
its school counselors to give information to middle and high school
students and their parents on the availability of (1) vocational, technical,
technological, and postsecondary education and training at technical
education and career schools and (2) agricultural science and
technology education at regional agricultural science and technology
education centers
The bill also requires each school board to annually distribute this
information to middle school students.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 31 — HIGH SCHOOL PRE-APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM
Requires SDE, by January 1, 2024, to establish a pre-apprenticeship grant program for
boards of education that include DOL-registered pre-apprenticeship programs in their
high school curriculum
The bill requires SDE to establish a pre-apprenticeship grant program
by January 1, 2024, within available appropriations. Under the program,
the department must award grants to any local or regional board of
education that incorporates a pre-apprenticeship program in its 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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curriculum for grades nine to 12, as long as the program is registered
with the Department of Labor (DOL) and meets any related criteria SDE
establishes. Under the bill, SDE must award grants of at least $1,000 for
each student who completes the program.
The bill requires SDE, starting by January 1, 2025, to annually report
to the Education Committee on the grant program, including the
amount of grants awarded and types of pre-apprenticeship programs
students completed during the prior year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 32 & 33 — EXPANSION OF DUAL CREDIT AND DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS
Requires SDE, in partnership with boards of education and public higher education
institutions, to expand opportunities for dual credit and dual enrollment for high school
students, including courses required for health care occupations
The bill requires SDE, by January 1, 2024, to expand dual credit and
dual enrollment opportunities for students in grades nine to 12 in
various subject areas, including courses required to pursue health care
occupations. The department must do this (1) within available funding
limits and (2) in partnership with local and regional boards of education
and public and independent higher education institutions.
Under the bill, SDE must include the following in the expanded
opportunities:
1. new resources, such as an online inventory of dual credit and
dual enrollment programs, and model agreements to promote
information sharing between boards of education and higher
education institutions;
2. support for curriculum development and teacher and faculty
professional development to create new career pathways for in-
demand industries, such as health care; and
3. tuition assistance for students who enroll in dual credit and dual
enrollment programs.
The bill requires SDE to report to the Education Committee on its 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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efforts to expand dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities by
January 1, 2024.
Aerospace Advanced Manufacturing High School Working Group
(§ 33)
The bill requires the Connecticut Technical Education Career System
executive director to convene a working group to determine the
feasibility, cost, and plan to develop an aerospace advanced
manufacturing high school.
Under the bill, the executive director must serve as the working
group’s chairperson and appoint its members, which must at least
include representatives of (1) the Governor’s Workforce Council, (2) the
Department of Economic and Community Development , and (3)
business and community organizations related to the aerospace
industry.
The bill requires the executive director to report the working group’s
conclusions and recommendations to the Education Committee by
January 1, 2025.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023, except that the provision convening
the aerospace advanced manufacturing high school working group
takes effect upon passage.
§§ 34 & 35 — SCHOOL NURSES AND NURSE PRA CTITIONERS
Exempts school nurses and nurse practitioners from the work experience requirement in
state regulations; requires employing boards of education to provide 15 hours of
professional development biennially to school nurses and nurse practitioners beginning
with the 2024-25 school year
Appointment Qualifications (§ 34)
Under current law, all school nurses and nurse practitioners who
local or regional boards of education appoint must meet qualifications
set in state regulations, which SBE adopted in consultation with the
Department of Public Health (DPH; see Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-212-
2). The bill creates an exception to the work experience requirement in
state regulation, specifically by exempting appointed or contracted
school nurses or nurse practitioners from having at least one year of full-
time work experience as a registered nurse in the five years immediately 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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before their appointment or employment in the position.
Professional Development (§§ 34 & 35)
Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, the bill requires each school
nurse or nurse practitioner appointed by or under contract with a board
of education to complete at least 15 hours of professional development
programs or activities biennially. The employing board must annually
approve and provide these programs or activities, which must include
training and instruction in implementing individualized education
programs (IEPs) and 504 plans (see Background). Additionally, for any
new school nurse or nurse practitioner, the board must provide the
programs or training within 30 days after the person is appointed by or
enters into a contract with the board.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — IEPs and 504 Plans
An IEP is a written statement detailing the student’s academic
achievement level, goals for future achievement, and specialized
educational services needed to reach the goals. Federal law requires
school boards to develop IEPs for students eligible to receive special
education and related services (Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.).
Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects students
with mental or physical disabilities from discrimination in public
schools (29 U.S.C. § 794). Students who receive school accommodations
under this law have them memorialized in a written plan, commonly
known as a “504 plan.”
Background — Related Bill
sSB 1097 (File 253), reported favorably by the Education Committee,
requires SBE to adopt regulations by July 1, 2024, that require, among
other things, each school nurse to biennially complete at least 15 hours
of school board-approved professional development programs or
activities. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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§ 36 — COMMISSION TO STUDY EDUCATION FUN DING AND
ACCOUNTABILITY MEASU RES
Creates a new commission to study various educational issues including funding for local
school districts, charter schools, and magnet schools and related accountability measures
The bill creates the Building Educational Responsibility with Greater
Improvement Networks Commission to study various educational
issues including (1) funding for local school districts, charter schools,
and magnet schools and (2) accountability measures for alliance districts
(educational reform districts and legacy alliance districts, under the bill)
charter schools, and magnet schools.
It must also study the adequacy of financial reporting by (1) school
boards, including the reporting associated with participation in the
Open Choice program; (2) the governing councils of state and local
charter schools and charter management organizations; and (3)
operators of interdistrict magnet school programs. Additionally, it must
include the financial impact of interdistrict magnet school programs,
charter schools, and the Open Choice program on school boards,
including education cost sharing (ECS) grant amounts, transportation
costs, special education services and other general educational costs for
children who live in the school district but do not attend a school under
the school board’s jurisdiction.
The bill specifies four portions of the study. The first part examines
school district, charter school, and magnet school funding entitlements
and must include, at a minimum:
1. the compensation, benefits, retention, and recruitment of
teachers, paraprofessionals, and social workers;
2. restrictions on the use of, and reporting requirements for, any
additional funds received under the bill, both ECS funds, and the
new grants;
3. optimal class sizes, and
4. the inclusion of special education as a need factor in the ECS
grant formula. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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The second portion of the study focuses on alliance districts and must
at least include (1) an analysis of how school boards develop alliance
district plans and how they are reviewed and approved by the
education commissioner and (2) recommendations for narrowing the
focus of or replacing the plans. The study must also consider the
following:
1. whether to eliminate SDE’s authority to withhold a portion of an
alliance district’s ECS grant for failing to comply with specified
requirements,
2. the feasibility of creating independent financial audits of the
expenditures under the entire budget of an alliance district’s
school board,
3. the feasibility of requiring alliance district school boards to hold
hearings on interventions and annually evaluate any new
programming established in the school district,
4. setting guidelines for the hiring of nonclassroom personnel, and
5. interventions that SDE may take in regard to an alliance district’s
operations.
For charter schools, the study at least include:
1. the feasibility of a full grade expansion of existing charters,
including grade expansion;
2. an examination of the impact of moratoriums on any new charter
school approval, as well as new magnet school program
approval; and
3. a consideration of the duration of a charter’s validity and SBE’s
standards used to determine whether to renew a charter.
The portion of the study regarding interdistrict magnet schools must
include oversight policies for interdistrict magnet school programs
operated by regional education service centers relating to tuition 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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increases, enrollment, and funding caps.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Commission Membership
Under the bill, the speaker of the House, the Senate president pro
tempore, the education commissioner, and the Office of Policy and
Management secretary, or their respective designees, are commission
members. The table below shows the 16 additional members, their
appointing authority, and any required organizational affiliations.
Table: Commission to Study Education Funding Membership and Appointing
Authority
Appointing Authority
(Appointments)
Member Organization or Position
House speaker
(two)
• Connecticut Association of Public School
Superintendents representative
• Regional Educational Service Centers (RESC)
Alliance representative
Senate president pro
tempore
(two)
• Special Education Equity for Kids representative
• Center for Children’s Advocacy representative
House majority leader
(three)
• Connecticut School Counselor Association
representative
• Connecticut Education Association representative
• Connecticut Voices for Children
Senate majority leader
(three)
• American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut
representative
• ConnCAN representative
• School and State Finance Project representative
House minority leader
(three)
• Connecticut Association of School Administrators
representative
• Connecticut Association of School Business Officials
representative
• Local or regional board of education member for an
alliance district, selected in consultation with the
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education
Senate minority leader
(three)
• Connecticut Charter School Association
representative
• Executive director of an agricultural science and
technology education center
• Connecticut Council of Administrators of Special 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Appointing Authority
(Appointments)
Member Organization or Position
Education representative
Organizational Matters and Report Deadline
Appointing authorities must make a ll initial commission
appointments within 30 days after the bill’s passage and fill any
vacancies. The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore, or
their designees, serve as the chairpersons. They must schedule and hold
the commission’s first meeting within 60 days after the bill’s passage.
The Education Committee’s administrative staff must serve as the
commission’s administrative staff.
The commission must submit the portion of its study on funding for
local and regional boards of education, charter schools, and magnet
schools, with findings and recommendations, to the Education and
Appropriations committees by February 1, 2024. It must submit the
remaining portion of the study to the Education Committee by January
15, 2025. It terminates when it submits the last report or July 1, 2025,
whichever is later.
§ 37 — APRIL ENROLLMENT REPORT
Requires local and regional boards of education, magnet school operators, and charter
school governing councils to annually report enrollment data as of April 1 to SDE
The bill requires each local and regional board of education,
interdistrict magnet school operator, and state or local charter school
governing council to submit to SDE the number of students enrolled in
their schools as of April 1. These school operators must submit this
information by May 20 each year.
The bill also imposes an additional reporting requirement on any
local or regional board of education that (1) is a sending district or
receiving district under the statewide interdistrict public school
attendance program or (2) operates an interdistrict magnet school
program or an agricultural science and technology educator center.
These boards must annually submit to SDE the number of students
participating in the applicable program as of April 1. The data must be 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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reported separately for in-district and out-of-district students.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 38-40 — RENAMING AND REVISING THE ALLIANCE DISTRICTS
Renames the alliance districts the educational reform districts and reduces the number of
these designated districts to 20; makes conforming changes in ECS and tiered PILOT
grants law
Beginning in FY 25, the bill renames the alliance districts as
“educational reform districts” and revises the alliance district program.
The bill reduces the number of districts with this designation from 36 to
20. It also defines a “legacy alliance district” as a school district for a
town that was designated as an alliance district for FYs 13-24. This
means the legacy alliance districts include all the educational reform
districts and the 16 other districts that are no longer designated alliance
districts.
Under current law, an alliance district is a school district that is
among the towns with the 33 lowest AI scores as calculated by SDE or
was previously designated as an alliance district from FYs 13-22.
Additionally, current law requires the education commissioner to
designate 36 alliance districts for the five-year period from FYs 23-27.
The bill requires the education commissioner to designate as
educational reform districts the districts among the towns with the 20
lowest AI scores for a two-year period beginning with FY 25. It also
repeals the current definition of “educational reform district,” which is
an alliance district that is among the 10 lowest AI scores in the state.
Under current law, the state comptroller withholds from an alliance
district town any increase in ECS funds that exceeds the amount the
town received in FY 12 (the year the program began). But, for districts
designated as alliance districts for the first time for FY 23, the
comptroller must withhold ECS funds over the FY 22 amount. The
comptroller transfers the money to the education commissioner to
withhold until she approves the district’s alliance district application
and plan to improve academic performance. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Under the bill, beginning with FY 25, the amount that must be
withheld for the 20 educational reform districts is the amount of ECS
funds they are entitled to that exceeds the amount the town received in
FY 12.
Existing law requires the alliance districts to spend their alliance
funds (1) according to the plan submitted with the application; (2) on
the minority candidate certification, retention, and residency program;
(3) on ECS spending requirements; and (4) for any other items allowed
under SDE guidelines. The bill refers to the plan specifically as an
“improvement plan.”
The bill requires each participating school board to submit the
improvement plan to SDE. (Existing law requires all alliance district
applications to include the plan and districts must submit applications
to receive their alliance grants. So, in practice, this is already done.)
The bill also allows a school district that has not been designated an
educational reform district, but is among the 50 towns with the lowest
AI scores, to request technical assistance or other interventions from
SDE in order to provide student academic support services.
Conforming Changes for ECS and PILOT Funds (§§ 39 & 40)
The bill makes conforming changes by making the same name change
to two laws that reference alliance districts (and otherwise keeps the
provisions unchanged):
1. the ECS funding provision that requires a town designated as a
legacy alliance district or an educational reform district to have a
minimum base aid ratio of 10%, guaranteeing a minimum
amount of aid, and
2. tiered payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) grants for a town
designated as a legacy alliance district or an educational reform
district.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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§ 41 — ALLIANCE DISTRICT HOLDBACK FOR MI NORITY
TEACHER PROGRAM FUND ING
Requires SDE to calculate alliance districts’ funding holdback for minority teacher
residency candidates using a new formula for FY 24; limits this holdback to FY 24 only
Existing law requires each alliance district to partner with an operator
of a minority teacher residency program to enroll minority candidates
and place them in the district for a 10-month residency (see sections 38-
40, above, for the bill renaming the alliance districts as “educational
reform districts”). Under current law, SDE withholds from each alliance
district 10% of an increase in alliance aid for grant payments to cover
costs associated with these candidates’ (1) enrollment in a residency
program, (2) teacher certification process, (3) hiring after successful
program completion, or (4) retention as certified employees (CGS § 10-
156gg(a)-(c)).
Starting with FY 23, current law requires the education commissioner
to calculate alliance districts’ withheld amount as follows: 10% of any
increase in funds that the district receives for that fiscal year that exceeds
the amount of funds it received in FY 20. The bill instead (1) limits this
withholding requirement to FY 24 only and (2) for FY 24, requires the
commissioner to calculate the withheld amount as 10% of any increase
in funds the alliance district received in FY 21 over the amount of funds
it received in FY 20.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Alliance Districts
By law, alliance districts are the 36 school districts that have the
lowest achievement, as rated by the state’s accountability index (CGS §
10-262u(b)(3)). Calculated by SDE, the accountability index ranks school
districts by combining various measures of student performance,
primarily standardized assessment scores, into a single score (CGS § 10-
223e).
§ 42 — INDOOR AIR QUALITY WORKING GROUP
Expands charge of, and extends deadline for, the school indoor air quality working group
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quality to study and make recommendations on various related issues,
such as (1) optimal temperature ranges to ensure healthy air and
promote student learning, (2) emergency air quality conditions that
warrant temporary school closures, and (3) best practices for properly
maintaining school heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
(HVAC) systems. For the latter, the bill specifies that its
recommendations must also include the frequency and scope of the
maintenance.
The bill also requires the working group to study and recommend (1)
a needs-based system for equitably distributing funds under the HVAC
system grant program for schools and (2) ways to make accessible and
searchable the reports and results of the uniform inspections and
evaluations of the indoor air quality and HVAC systems.
The bill extends, from January 4, 2023, to July 1, 2024, the deadline by
which it must report to the Education, Labor and Public Employees, and
Public Health committees.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§§ 43 & 44 — SCHOOL INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROGRAM
Requires more frequent indoor air quality inspections; requires the inspection reports to be
submitted to DAS on a form the agency creates
The bill requires school districts to do more frequent inspections and
evaluations of public school indoor air quality and to submit the
inspection results to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS),
which must post them on its website. Under current law, these
inspections must be done every three years for any school constructed,
extended, renovated, or replaced on or after January 1, 2003. The bill
instead requires they be done annually beginning January 1, 2024.
It also gives school districts more time to do a less frequent HVAC
inspection that must be done by a certified technician, certified
industrial hygienist, or a mechanical engineer. Current law requires
these inspections to be done before January 1, 2024, and every five years
after that. The bill moves the deadline to January 1, 2025, and creates a
waiver process for certain situations. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Annual Air Quality Inspection or Evaluation
Current law requires school districts to do uniform indoor air quality
inspections and evaluations every three years for any school built or
renovated on or after January 1, 2003, and allows them to do so using
the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Air
Quality Tools for School Program (see Background). The bill instead
makes the inspections annual and requires, rather than allows, the
inspections to use this EPA program.
Under existing law, unchanged by the bill, the inspection or
evaluation must include the following, among other things: HVAC
systems; radon levels; potential for exposure to microbiological airborne
particles, including fungi, mold, and bacteria; chemical compounds of
concern to indoor air quality, including volatile organic compounds;
pest infestation, including insects and rodents; the degree of pesticide
usage; plumbing, including water distribution and drainage systems,
and indoor air quality maintenance training for staff.
By law, the inspection results must be made public at a school board
meeting and posted online.
HVAC Inspection by Certified Technician or Hygienist or
Mechanical Engineer
The bill extends, from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025, the deadline
by which school districts must start having five-year HVAC inspections
done by a certified testing, adjusting, and balancing technician,
industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial
Hygiene or the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, or a mechanical
engineer.
By law, a “certified testing, adjusting and balancing technician” is (1)
a technician certified to do testing, adjusting, and balancing of HVAC
systems by the Associated Air Balance Council, the National
Environmental Balancing Bureau, or the Testing, Adjusting and
Balancing Bureau (TABB) or (2) someone training under the supervision
of a (a) TABB-certified technician or (b) person certified to do ventilation
assessments of HVAC systems through a certification body accredited 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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by the American National Standards Institute.
Waiver
The bill creates a process for DAS to grant waivers of the January 1,
2025, inspection and evaluation deadline. The waivers are valid for a
year.
Upon a school board’s request, DAS may waive the deadline if it
finds that:
1. there are not enough certified testing, adjusting, and balancing
technicians; certified industrial hygienists; or mechanical
engineers to do the inspection and evaluation or
2. the board scheduled the inspection and evaluation for a date after
January 1, 2025.
The bill also allows school boards that had an inspection done in a
different format that DAS deems equivalent to use the inspection in
place of the uniform inspection and evaluation required under the law.
School Indoor Air Quality and HVAC Reporting Forms (§ 43)
The bill requires DAS to develop standard school building indoor air
quality reporting forms to be used by boards of education when
conducting either the annual air quality inspection or five-year HVAC
inspection. DAS must make the forms available on its website and it
may consult with representatives from the indoor air quality and HVAC
industry to develop them.
The bill additionally requires that school boards submit the report
and results for both inspections to DAS using these standard forms.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
Background — Tools for Schools
The EPA’s Tools for Schools program helps schools identify and
address indoor air quality issues, including using its action kit, which
has guidance for existing school staff to do practical inspections and take
other steps at little or no cost. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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§ 45 — OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE COMFORT RANGE GUIDELINES
Requires DPH to develop temperature comfort range guidelines for school buildings
The bill requires DPH, by July 1, 2024, to develop guidelines for an
optimal temperature comfort range of 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in
school buildings and facilities but allows gymnasiums and natatoriums
to have a larger range.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 46 — PATHWAYS IN TECHNOLOGY EARLY COLL EGE HIGH
SCHOOL PROGRAM GRANT
Requires SDE to create a grant for new or expanded pathways in technology early college
high school programs in alliance districts
The bill requires SDE to create a grant for new or expanded pathways
in technology early college high school programs in alliance districts.
Under the bill a “pathways in technology early college high school
program” is an instructional program in which students in grades nine
to 12, inclusive, complete high school and college-level coursework
while also engaging in industry-guided workforce development.
Starting with FY 2024, SDE must annually issue a request for
proposals to alliance district school boards to (1) enhance an existing
pathways in technology early college high school program or (2)
establish a new public-private partnership (i.e., a relationship between
an alliance district board of education, a community college, and a
private entity to create a pathways in technology early college high
school program).
The department must review the proposals and award a grant to two
school boards for the costs associated with establishing a new public-
private partnership or enhancing a pathway in technology early college
high school program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 47 — SCHOOL CLIMATE DEFINITION
Defines “school climate” and related terms
School Climate 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill replaces the definition of “school climate” in current law with
a new definition. Under the bill, “school climate” means the quality and
character of the school life, with a particular focus on the quality of the
relationships within the “school community,” defined as (1) people,
groups, businesses, public institutions, and nonprofit organizations
invested in the school system’s welfare and vitality; (2) students and
their families; (3) board of education members; and (4) school volunteers
and employees.
“School climate” under the bill is also based on patterns of people’s
experiences of school life, reflecting the school community’s norms,
goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning, leadership
practices, and organizational structures, which is similar to its definition
under current law (which the bill repeals) (CGS § 10-222d(a)(9)).
Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Teen Dating Violence
Bullying. The bill also replaces the definition of “bullying” in current
law, defining it in the bill as unwanted and aggressive behavior among
children in grades kindergarten to 12, inclusive, that involves a real or
perceived power imbalance. The “school environment” under the bill is
a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function, or program,
including other activities, functions, or programs occurring (1) on or off
school grounds; (2) at a school bus stop or on a school bus or other
vehicle owned, leased, or used by a local or regional board of education;
or (3) outside of a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function,
or program if the bullying negatively impact the school environment.
Under current law, “bullying” is a direct or indirect act that is severe,
persistent, or pervasive, which does any of the following: (1) causes
physical or emotional harm to an individual, (2) places an individual in
reasonable fear of emotional harm, or (3) infringes on an individual’s
rights or opportunities at school. Current law also specifies that bullying
includes a written, oral, or electronic communication or a physical act or
gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic,
such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status,
academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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developmental or sensory disability; or by association with an
individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of these
characteristics (CGS § 10-222d(1)).
Cyberbullying and Teen Dating Violence. The bill also groups
“cyberbullying” and “teen dating violence” within the definition of
“bullying.” It maintains the same general definition for “cyberbullying”
as under current law: any act of bullying using the internet, interactive
and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephones or other mobile
electronic devices (e.g., text messaging device, pager, laptop computer),
or any other electronic communication (i.e., transfers of signs, signals,
writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence transmitted by wire, radio,
electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or photo-optical system).
The bill also maintains the same definition for “teen dating violence”
as current law: any act of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, including
stalking, harassing, and threatening, that occurs between two students
who are currently in or who have recently been in a dating relationship.
Challenging Behavior
The bill defines “challenging behavior” as behavior that negatively
impacts school climate or interferes, or is at risk of interfering, with the
learning or safety of a student or the safety of a school employee.
Restorative Practices
Under the bill, “restorative practices” refers to evidence and research-
based system-level practices that focus on the following:
1. building high-quality, constructive relationships among the
school community;
2. holding the student accountable for challenging behavior; and
3. ensuring the student has a role in repairing relationships and
reintegrating into the school community.
Other Defined Terms
This section of the bill also defines other related terms as described in 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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the sections below where they appear.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 47 & 48 — SCHOOL CLIMATE STANDARDS AN D MODEL
POLICY
Requires the Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative
to (1) develop school climate standards based on national guidelines and (2) create a
uniform bullying complaint form; requires SDE and boards of education to post the form
on their websites and in their handbooks
National Standards
The bill requires the Social and Emotional Learning and School
Climate Advisory Collaborative to convene a subcommittee to:
1. develop Connecticut school climate standards based on
nationally recognized school climate research and best practices
by February 1, 2024;
2. create a uniform bullying complaint form for SDE and local and
regional boards of education to include on their websites and
student handbooks; and
3. provide guidance to local and regional boards on implementing
the Connecticut school climate policy.
Under the bill, the “Connecticut school climate policy” is a policy
developed, updated, and approved by a Connecticut association
representing boards of education. The policy must be adopted by the
Collaborative and provide a framework for an effective and
democratically informed school climate improvement process that (1)
serves to implement the Connecticut school climate standards and (2)
includes a continuous cycle of planning and preparation, evaluation,
action planning, and implementation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 49 — CONNECTICUT SCHOOL CLIMATE POLICY
Phases in the requirement for boards of education to adopt and implement a new
Connecticut school climate policy over the next three school years
Over the next two school years (2023-24 and 2024-25), the bill allows 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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local and regional boards of education to adopt and implement the new
Connecticut school climate policy described above (§ 48). Under the bill,
districts that choose to do this are no longer required to implement
provisions in current law requiring school boards to do the following:
1. implement a safe school climate plan and administer school
climate assessments (CGS § 10-222d);
2. use bullying and teen dating violence prevention and
intervention strategies (CGS § 10-222g); and
3. appoint a district safe school climate coordinator, safe school
climate specialists, and safe school climate committees (CGS § 10-
222k).
By the 2025-26 school year, the bill requires, rather than allows, all
boards of education to adopt and implement the Connecticut school
climate policy since the bill repeals the above statutes in current law (see
§§ 87 below).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 50-52 & 70 — SCHOOL CLIMATE PERSONNEL
Requires each school district to have a school climate coordinator and each school to have a
school climate specialist and a school climate committee
Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the bill requires district- and
school-level administrators and staff to assume roles related to
addressing school climate.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
District School Climate Coordinator (§§ 50 & 70)
Under the bill, each school district’s superintendent, or an
administrator appointed by the superintendent, must serve as the
district’s school climate coordinator. This differs slightly from current
law, which requires the superintendent to appoint a “district safe school
climate coordinator” from among existing school district staff (CGS §
10-222k(a)). Under the bill, the school climate coordinator’s duties
include the following, which are also very similar to current law: 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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1. giving all schools district-level leadership and support for
implementing their school climate improvement plans;
2. collaborating with each school’s school climate specialist (see
below) to develop a continuum of strategies to prevent, identify,
and respond to challenging behavior, including alleged bullying
and harassment in the school environment;
3. communicate the developed strategies to the school community,
including publishing them in the district student handbook;
4. collecting and maintaining data about school climate
improvement, including data related to school discipline records,
school climate assessments, attendance rates, social and
emotional learning assessments, academic growth, types of
bullying complaints submitted by school community members,
types of challenging behavior addressed using the restorative
practices response policy (see § 74 below), and the
implementation of restorative practices; and
5. meeting semiannually with each school’s school climate
specialist to (a) identify strategies to improve school climate,
including by responding to challenging behavior and
implementing evidence and research-based interventions, such
as restorative practices; (b) propose revisions to the school
climate improvement plan; and (c) help complete the school
climate survey.
The bill also requires the Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services commissioner to give mental health first aid training to any
person appointed to serve as a school climate coordinator beginning in
the 2025-26 school year.
School Climate Specialist (§ 51)
Under the bill, each school’s principal, or a professional certified
school employee trained in school climate improvement or restorative
practices and who is designated as the school climate specialist by the
principal, must serve as the school climate specialist for the school. This 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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is nearly identical to current law, which allows the principal to appoint
a non-administrator as well (CGS § 10-222k(b)). The specialist’s duties
include the following:
1. leading in the prevention, identification, and response to
challenging behavior, including reports of alleged bullying and
harassment;
2. implementing evidence and research-based interventions,
including restorative practices;
3. scheduling meetings for and leading the school climate
committee (see § 52 below); and
4. leading the school climate improvement plan’s implementation
(see § 54 below).
By repealing the safe school climate specialist’s duties in current law,
the bill eliminates the investigatory aspect of the position as it relates to
bullying allegations.
School Climate Committee (§ 52)
The bill requires each school to have a school climate committee,
beginning with the 2025-26 school year, with racially, culturally, and
linguistically diverse members who are representative of various roles
in the school community and appointed by the school climate specialist.
The specialist, in coordination with the school climate coordinator, must
annually review and approve the committee’s membership, which must
consist of the following people:
1. the school climate specialist;
2. a teacher selected by the certified employees’ union;
3. a group of students (of an unspecified number) that is
demographically representative of the school, as
developmentally appropriate;
4. enrolled students’ families; and 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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5. other members of the school community whom the school
climate specialist wishes to appoint.
By repealing current law’s requirements for the committee’s
membership, the bill removes the requirement that the school’s medical
and mental health personnel serve on the committee (CGS § 10-
222k(c)(1)(B)). It also repeals the requirement that only high school
students can serve on committees and only for a high school committee
(CGS § 10-222k(c)(1)(C)).
The bill tasks school climate committees with the following
responsibilities:
1. helping with the annual school climate survey’s development,
scheduling, and administration;
2. using school climate survey data to identify strengths and
challenges to improve school climate;
3. creating or proposing revisions to the school climate
improvement plan (see § 54 below);
4. helping with the school climate impro vement plan’s
implementation;
5. advising on strategies to improve school climate and
implementing evidence and research-based interventions,
including restorative practices in the school community;
6. annually notifying the school community of the uniform bullying
complaint form (or a similar form) used by the school; and
7. engaging the school community in the school climate
improvement plan’s implementation at semiannual meetings
during the school year.
By repealing the current law governing the committee, the bill
removes the following duties:
1. receiving copies of completed reports after bullying 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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investigations (CGS § 10-222k(c)(2)) and
2. implementing the provisions of the school security and safety
plan (CGS § 10-222m) that govern the collection, evaluation, and
reporting of information relating to instances of disturbing or
threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying
(CGS § 10-222k(c)(2)).
§ 53 — SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
Requires each school climate committee to annually administer a school climate survey
The bill requires the school climate committee in each public school
to biennially administer a school climate survey beginning in the 2025-
26 school year to students, school employees and families of students,
as long as students’ parents or guardians receive prior written notice
that the survey is being administered and its content. Parents and
guardians must have a reasonable opportunity to opt students out of the
survey.
Under the bill, this survey must be a research-based, validated, and
developmentally appropriate survey administered to students, their
families, and school employees in the predominant languages of the
school community, that measures and identifies school climate needs
and tracks progress through a school climate improvement plan (see §
59 below). (The bill does not explicitly state whether the school climate
committee must select a survey made by an outside entity or whether it
must make its own research-based, validated survey. Current law,
repealed by the bill, requires SDE to distribute department-approved
school climate assessment instruments to all public schools (CGS § 10-
222h).)
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 54 & 71 — SCHOOL CLIMATE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Requires the creation of a school climate improvement plan in each school that aligns with
the Connecticut school climate standards and includes protocols and supports to enhance
classroom safety and address challenging behavior
Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the bill requires each school’s
school climate specialist, in collaboration with the district’s school 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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climate coordinator, to develop a school climate improvement plan and
update it as needed. The bill repeals the requirement for schools to
develop a “safe school climate plan” (CGS § 10-222d; see §§ 86-87
below).
Under the bill, a school climate improvement plan is a building-
specific plan developed by the school climate committee in
collaboration with the school climate specialist using school climate
survey data and other relevant information. In developing the plan, the
committee and the specialist must engage and involve all school
community members in a series of (1) overlapping systemic
improvements; (2) schoolwide instructional practices; and (3) relational
practices that prevent, identify, and respond to challenging behavior,
including alleged bullying and harassment in the school environment.
Protocols and Supports
The bill requires the plan to align with the Connecticut school climate
standards (see § 53 above) and include protocols and supports to
enhance classroom safety and address challenging behavior. The
protocols and supports must, at a minimum, specify the following:
1. the contact information of the administrator the school climate
specialist designates to be notified by school employees of any
incidents of challenging behavior, and the contact information of
any other administrator or school employee to be notified of
these incidents in the designated administrator’s absence;
2. the process by which the designated administrator will assess the
facts, severity, and intentionality of an incident of challenging
behavior;
3. each designated location to which a student may be sent when
they are temporarily removed from a classroom, and the
supports they receive there, including (a) intervention from a
trained school employee, (b) therapeutic resources, (c) available
mental health supports, (d) instructional materials, and (e)
technology or other resources to address the student’s temporary 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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needs;
4. ways to address challenging behavior, enhance resiliency,
increase the use of de-escalation strategies and improve social
and emotional skills, which may include, but are not limited to
training, therapeutic mental health supports, restorative
practices, or trauma-informed instructional strategies;
5. safeguards established to ensure that any supports, services, or
interventions given to any student who receives special
education or accommodation for a disability comply with a
student’s individualized education program under special
education law or an accommodation plan under Section 504 of
the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and
6. a prohibition on the discrimination or retaliation against anyone
who reports or assists in the investigation of a challenging
behavior incident.
Tiered responses. The bill requires the protocols and supports to
include tiered responses to challenging behavior incidents, based on
level of impact or frequency of occurrence, that:
1. require temporarily clearing a classroom or removing a majority
of students to reduce likelihood of injury,
2. indicate credible intention to cause bodily harm to self or others,
or
3. result in an injury that requires medical attention beyond basic
first aid, or less severe injuries caused by the same person on
more than one occasion, verified by the school nurse or other
medical professional.
These tiered responses must include at least the following:
1. for a single incident, the school principal must notify the parents
or guardians of each student involved in a way that complies
with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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U.S.C. § 1232g et seq.) (FERPA);
2. for each following incident, the school principal must invite the
parents or guardians of each student involved to a meeting (in-
person at the school or virtual) to discuss any specific supports
or interventions, including restorative practices; and
3. for multiple incidents, or a single incident that causes severe
harm, the school principal must give notice to the parents or
guardians of each student involved in the incident of other
resources for supports and interventions, including the 211
Infoline program; Behavioral Health Partnership services or
programs; or other resources for professional services, support,
or crisis intervention.
Reporting requirement. Under the bill, the protocols and supports
must also require the superintendent to, at least annually, report the
number of incidents that occurred the previous year to the school board.
This report must also include the grade level of each student involved
and the supports, services, or interventions given in response to address
the needs of students and school employees. The report must be made
in a way that does not result in the disclosure of identifiable student data
in keeping with FERPA.
Meeting between school administrator and employees. The bill
requires the protocols and supports to also include a requirement for a
meeting between an administrator and the school employee who
witnessed the incident within two days of the incident. The meeting
must determine the supports and interventions required to address the
students’ and school employees’ needs, as long as the supports and
interventions for any student who receives special education are
determined by the student’s planning and placement team and the
notice of the incident is submitted to the team within two days after the
incident.
The protocols and supports must also include a process by which a
teacher can request a behavior intervention meeting for students
exhibiting disruptive behavior (CGS § 10-236c). 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill also requires the plan to be based on the results of the school
climate survey, any school climate committee recommendations, and
any other data the school climate specialist and school climate
coordinator consider relevant. The plan must be submitted to the school
climate coordinator by December 31 each year for review and approval.
Once approved, the plan must be made available to the school
community in written or electronic form and be used in the prevention
of, identification of, and response to challenging behavior. (The bill does
not give a deadline for the climate coordinator to act on the submitted
plan and does not indicate what happens if the plan is not approved.)
By repealing the current law requiring “safe school climate plans”
and replacing them with “school climate improvement plans,” the bill
removes the following elements of the schoolwide climate plan that
current law explicitly requires:
1. enabling students to anonymously report, and parents or
guardians to report in writing, acts of bullying to school
employees;
2. requiring school employees who witness acts of bullying or
receive reports of bullying to (a) orally notify the safe school
climate specialist or another school administrator, if the safe
school climate specialist is unavailable, no later than one school
day after witnessing or receiving a report of bullying and (b) file
a written report no later than two school days after making the
oral report;
3. requiring the safe school climate specialist to (a) investigate or
supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying; (b) ensure
that the investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any
written reports; and (c) ensure that the parents or guardians of
the student alleged to have committed the bullying, along with
the parents or guardians of the student against whom it was
directed, receive prompt notice that the investigation has begun;
4. requiring the safe school climate specialist to review any
anonymous reports and specifying that no disciplinary action can 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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be taken only on the basis of an anonymous report;
5. including language in student codes of conduct about bullying;
6. requiring each school to notify the parents or guardians of
students who commit any verified acts of bullying, along with
the parents or guardians of students against whom the bullying
was directed, no later than 48 hours after the investigation ends,
(a) about the investigation’s results and (b) verbally and by email
if their email addresses are known, that the parents or guardians
may refer to the plain language explanation of the rights and
remedies available to them under state law, which allows them
to file a complaint with SBE against the school board for failure
or inability to implement the educational interests of the state
(CGS §§ 10-4a & 10-4b);
7. requiring that (a) each school invite the parents or guardians of a
student against whom the bullying was directed to a meeting to
tell them what the school is doing to ensure the student’s safety
and the policies and procedures in place to prevent further acts
of bullying and (b) this invitation include a description of the
response of school employees to these acts and any consequences
that may result if more bullying takes place;
8. requiring that (a) each school invite the parents or guardians of a
student who commits any verified act of bullying to a meeting to
discuss specific interventions undertaken by the school to
prevent more bullying and (b) this invitation include a
description of the response of school employees to these acts and
any consequences that may result if more bullying takes place;
9. establishing a procedure for each school to (a) document and
maintain records on reports and investigations of bullying in the
school and to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of
bullying in the school and (b) make this list available for public
inspection and annually report this number to SDE;
10. directing the development of case-by-case interventions for 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single person
or repeated bullying done by the same person that may include
both counseling and discipline;
11. prohibiting discrimination and retaliation against anyone who
reports or helps in the investigation of bullying;
12. directing the development of student safety support plans for
students against whom bullying was directed that address safety
measures the school will take to protect these students against
more bullying;
13. requiring the principal of a school, or the principal’s designee, to
notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency when the
principal, or the principal’s designee, believes that any bullying
is criminal conduct; and
14. requiring, at the beginning of each school year, schools to give all
school employees a written or electronic copy of the school
district’s safe school climate plan.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 55 — TRAINING RESOURCES
Requires each local and regional board of education to provide training and resources for
school employees on school climate, social and emotional learning, and restorative
practices; repeals a law requiring the statewide safe school climate resource network
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the bill requires each local and
regional board of education to provide training and resources to school
employees on (1) “school climate” and culture (see above); (2) social and
emotional learning; and (3) evidence- and research-based interventions,
including “restorative practices” (see above).
The bill defines “social and emotional learning” as the process by
which children and adults achieve emotional intelligence through self-
awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and
responsible decision-making. Under the bill, “emotional intelligence”
means the ability to do the following: 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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1. perceive, recognize, and understand emotions in oneself or
others;
2. use emotions to facilitate cognitive activities, including
reasoning, problem solving, and interpersonal communication;
3. understand and identify emotions; and
4. manage emotions in oneself and others.
The bill allows the resources and training to be made available at each
school under the board’s jurisdiction and to include technical assistance
for implementing the school climate improvement plan. The school
climate coordinator must select and approve the training providers, and
any school employee may participate in the training. The bill defines
“school employee” as any of the following people:
1. a teacher, substitute teacher, administrator, school
superintendent, school counselor, school psychologist, social
worker, school nurse, physician, paraeducator, or coach
employed by a local or regional board of education, or
2. anyone else who, under contract with a board of education, (a)
does duties that bring them in regular contact with students and
(b) provides services to, or on behalf of, students enrolled in a
public school.
The bill repeals from current law the statewide safe school climate
resource network, which SDE must establish in consultation with the
State Education Resource Center to make available to all schools
information, training opportunities, and resource materials to improve
the school climate and diminish bullying and teen dating violence (CGS
§ 10-222i).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 56-69 — TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING CHAN GES
Makes technical and conforming changes
The bill makes technical and conforming changes in the education 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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laws relating to statutes the bill repeals and new school climate
personnel the bill creates.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025
§§ 72 & 73 — SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
Requires the MOU between a school board that assigns an SRO to its schools and the
SRO’s local law enforcement agency specify the SRO’s duties and procedures; requires
school boards to post the MOUs on their website and in the SRO’s assigned school; and
requires each SRO to submit a report for each investigation or behavioral intervention the
SRO conducts
By law, each local and regional board of education that assigns a
school resource officer (SRO; i.e., sworn police officer) to its schools
must have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the SRO’s
local law enforcement agency. The MOU must address the SRO’s role
and responsibility in the school, including the officer’s interactions with
students and staff, as well as training requirements.
This bill adds the requirement that, as of July 1, 2023, these MOUs
specify the SRO’s duties and procedures for restraining students, using
firearms, making school-based arrests, and reporting on investigations
and behavioral interventions. Additionally, it requires school boards to
post their MOU on their website and in the school where the SRO is
assigned, as well as maintain the MOU in a central location in the school
district.
The bill additionally requires each SRO to submit to his agency’s
police chief a report for each investigation or behavioral intervention the
SRO conducts within five days of doing so. Under the bill,
“investigation or behavioral intervention” is a circumstance in which an
SRO is conducting (1) a fact-finding inquiry concerning student
behavior or school safety, including emergency circumstances, or (2) an
intervention to resolve violent or nonviolent student behavior or
conflicts. The report must include at least the following:
1. the date, time, and location of the investigation or behavioral
intervention;
2. the SRO’s name and badge number; 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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3. the race, ethnicity, gender, age, and disability status for each
student involved in the investigation or behavioral intervention;
4. the reason for and nature and disposition of the investigation or
behavioral intervention; and
5. whether any student involved in the investigation or behavioral
intervention was (a) searched; (b) informed of their constitutional
rights; (c) issued a citation or a summons; (d) arrested; or (e)
detained, including the amount of time of the detainment.
Police chiefs must submit SROs’ reports to their school districts’
superintendents at least monthly. Superintendents must submit them to
their school districts’ local or regional board of education.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 74 — RESTORATIVE PRACTICES RESPONSE PO LICY
Requires school boards to adopt a restorative practices response policy
Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the bill requires each local
and regional board of education to adopt a restorative practices
response policy to be implemented by school employees for incidents of
challenging behavior or nonviolent student conflict that does not
constitute a crime. The bill prohibits the policy from including the
involvement of an SRO or other law enforcement official unless the
challenging behavior or conflict escalates to violence or constitutes a
crime.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§ 75 — SCHOOL DISCIPLINE PRACTICES WORKI NG GROUP
Requires the SDE commissioner to establish a working group, under the Connecticut
School Discipline Collaborative, to study current school discipline practices and report the
study’s results to the Education Committee
The bill requires the SDE commissioner to establish a working group
under the Connecticut School Discipline Collaborative to study current
school discipline practices, including those that lead to students
becoming “justice-involved” (i.e., involved with the juvenile justice
system due to being accused of a delinquent or criminal act). 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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Under the bill, the working group’s members must be appointed by
the commissioner and representative of students, educators, community
members, child welfare and development experts, mental health care
providers, and restorative practices experts.
By July 1, 2024, the bill requires the working group to submit a report
to the Education Committee on the study’s results and any
recommendations for school discipline reform.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
§§ 76-82 — RECOMMEND ATIONS OF THE JUVENI LE JUSTICE
POLICY AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONCERNIN G
EDUCATION
Makes various changes in the education statutes governing suspension and expulsion
The bill makes various changes in the education statutes governing
suspension and expulsion. Specifically, it requires the following:
1. school districts with high rates of in- and out-of-school
suspension and expulsion to (a) develop strategies to reduce
suspensions and expulsions and (b) submit these strategies to
SDE (§§ 76-77);
2. SDE to report to the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight
Committee (JJPOC; see Background) on expulsions and related
alternative education program placements (§ 81); and
3. SDE to provide, and allows school boards to use, recommended
assessments for screening students who exhibit mental health
distress or who have been identified as at risk for suicide (§§ 79-
80).
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2024, except the provisions governing
(1) expulsion and alternative education reporting take effect upon
passage and (2) student mental health assessments take effect on July 1,
2023.
SUSPENSION AND EXPUL SION
Response and Improvement Plans 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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By law, local and regional boards of education must annually submit
certain data on each of their schools to SDE in their strategic school
profile report. Among this data is the number of in-school and out-of-
school suspensions and expulsions (CGS § 10-220(c)(3)).
Beginning on July 1, 2024, the bill requires districts with a rate of
suspensions and expulsions that is high or disproportionate, as
determined by the education commissioner, to (1) develop strategies to
reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions, and (2) submit these
strategies to SDE in the form and manner the commissioner prescribes.
Also, beginning July 1, 2024, the bill requires SDE, within available
appropriations, to provide support, on-site monitoring, and oversight
of schools implementing these strategies.
By law, SDE must annually examine the suspension and expulsion
data submitted as part of the strategic school profile report, disaggregate
the data, and submit a report to SBE. The bill requires this report to be
posted on SDE’s website and include the above strategies and the results
from them.
Addressing Suicide Risks (§§ 79-80)
Under the bill, by January 1, 2024, SDE must give local and regional
boards of education a list of recommended assessments for determining
the suicide risk of students who (1) exhibit mental health distress, (2)
have been identified as at risk of suicide, or (3) are considered to be at
an increased risk of suicide based on certain risk factors. The risk factors
must be based on the state-wide strategic suicide prevention plan
developed by the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board, and must
include at least youth who are:
1. bereaved by suicide;
2. disabled or have chronic health conditions, such as mental health
or substance use disorders;
3. involved in the juvenile justice system;
4. experiencing homelessness or placed in an out-of-home setting, 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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such as foster care; or
5. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning.
The list may include the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (see
Background).
Relatedly, the bill allows boards to use an assessment from the SDE-
provided list to screen identified students beginning July 1, 2023.
The bill requires students who are assessed based on the risk factors
based on the suicide prevention plan developed by the Connecticut
Suicide Advisory Board to receive heightened consideration during
their mental health assessment.
Student Outcomes Reporting (§ 81)
The bill requires SDE, by January 1, 2025, to report to JJPOC on the
educational experiences and outcomes of students who are expelled and
placed in alternative education, and how these opportunities compare
to the standards adopted by SBE.
Under the bill, the report must include at least the following:
1. the number of students who were expelled and placed in
alternative education during the previous school year;
2. the types of alternative educational opportunities in which the
students were placed; and
3. any student engagement and outcome measures.
Connecticut School Discipline Collaborative Advisement on
Suspensions and Expulsions (§ 82)
The bill requires SDE’s Connecticut School Discipline Collaborative
to advise the SDE commissioner and SBE on strategies to reduce the
overall and disproportionate use of out-of-school suspensions and
expulsions.
Beginning by October 1, 2023, the bill makes the Connecticut School
Discipline Collaborative responsible for the following duties concerning 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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grades preschool through two:
1. developing guidance to reduce the number of out-of-school
suspensions and expulsions in these grades;
2. giving evidence-based and developmentally appropriate
definitions and examples of conduct that is violent or sexual in
nature that may allow an out-of-school suspension for students
in these grades (CGS § 10-233c(g)); and
3. recommending developmentally appropriate interventions for
students in these grades as an alternative to out-of-school
suspension.
Background — JJPOC
State law charges JJPOC with evaluating policies related to the
juvenile justice system and the expansion of juvenile jurisdiction to
include 16- and 17-year-olds. Its members include legislators, judicial
branch leaders, state agency heads, and child and victim advocates,
among others (CGS § 46b-121n).
Background — Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is a short questionnaire that can
be administered quickly in the field by responders with no formal
mental health training, and it is relevant in a wide range of settings and
for people of all ages.
§§ 83 & 84 — GRANTS FOR THE HIRING OF SC HOOL SOCIAL
WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGIS TS, COUNSELORS, NURS ES,
LICENSED MARRIAGE AN D FAMILY THERAPISTS, AND SCHOOL
MENTAL HEALTH SPECIA LISTS
Pushes out by one year the dates by which SDE must administer the school mental health
therapist grant program; removes the requirement that grant recipients in both programs
refund unexpended grant amounts to SDE; adjusts education commissioner reporting
dates
Current law requires SDE, for FYs 23 to 25, to administer a program
to provide grants for local and regional boards of education to (1) hire 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
Researcher: JM Page 61 6/2/23
and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school
counselors, nurses, and licensed marriage and family therapists and (2)
hire school mental health specialists (PA 22-80, §§ 4-5 as amended by
PA 22-116, § 7 and PA 22-47, § 13 as amended by PA 22-116, § 10). Both
public acts require grant recipients to refund to the department any
unspent grant amount at the end of the fiscal year when it was awarded.
Grant to Hire School Social Workers, School Psychologists,
School Counselors, Nurses, and Licensed Marriage and Family
Therapists (§ 83)
For the grant program to hire school social workers, school
psychologists, school counselors, nurses, and licensed marriage and
family therapists, the bill removes the requirement that grant recipients
refund the unexpended amounts. By law and unchanged by the bill,
recipients must refund amounts not spent according to the plan in the
approved grant application.
Grant to Hire School Mental Health Specialists (§ 84)
For the grant program to hire school mental health therapists, the bill
pushes out by one year the dates for which SDE must administer the
program from FYs 23-25 to FYs 24-26. It correspondingly pushes out by
one year the requirements in each of these fiscal years that the
commissioner must follow when determining grant award amounts.
The bill also makes corresponding changes to reporting deadlines for
the education commissioner. Under the bill, the commissioner must
report to the Children’s and Education committees on each grant
recipient’s utilization rate and the grant program’s return on investment
by January 1, 2027, rather than 2026. Additionally, the commissioner
must develop recommendations by January 1, 2027, rather than 2026, on
(1) whether the grant program should be extended and funded for FY
27 and beyond and (2) the grant award amount under the program.
Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that grant recipients
refund the unexpended amounts. By law and unchanged by the bill,
recipients must refund amounts not spent according to the plan in the
approved grant application. 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 85 — GRANT FOR DELIVERY OF S TUDENT MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES
Pushes out by one year the dates by which SDE must administer a grant program to
provide student mental health services to certain youth camp and summer program
operators; removes the requirement that grant recipients refund unexpended grant
amounts to SDE
Current law requires SDE to administer a program to provide grants
in FYs 23 to 25 to local and regional boards of education, youth camp
operators, and other summer program operators for delivery of student
mental health services. Grant recipients must refund to the department
any unspent grant amounts at the end of the fiscal year when it was
awarded (PA 22-47, § 14).
The bill (1) pushes out by one year the dates by which SDE must
administer the grant program from FYs 23-25 to FYs 24-26 and (2)
removes the requirement that grant recipients refund the unexpended
amounts. It correspondingly pushes out by one year the requirements
in each of these fiscal years that the commissioner must follow when
determining grant award amounts.
The bill also makes corresponding changes to the dates by which the
education commissioner must report to the Children’s and Education
committees on each grant recipient’s utilization rate (by January 1, 2027,
rather than 2026). Additionally, the commissioner must develop
recommendations by January 1, 2027, rather than 2026, on (1) whether
the grant program should be extended and funded for FY 27 and beyond
and (2) the grant award amount under the program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§§ 86 & 87 — REPEALER
Repeals laws containing school climate-related requirements for school boards and SDE
that conflict with the bill’s provisions
Current law requires local and regional boards of education to follow
various provisions for creating a safe school climate and preventing and
investigating bullying, cyberbullying, and teen dating violence. The bill
creates new provisions and repeals laws with the following 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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requirements for boards of education:
1. implementing a safe school climate plan and submitting it to SDE
for approval and administering school climate assessments (CGS
§ 10-222d);
2. using bullying and teen dating violence prevention and
intervention strategies (CGS § 10-222g); and
3. appointing a district safe school climate coordinator, safe school
climate specialists, and safe school climate committees for the
schools in their respective districts (CGS § 10-222k).
It also repeals laws containing the following requirements for SDE:
1. analyzing district efforts to prevent and respond to bullying in
schools and annually reporting on this analysis to the Education
and Children’s committees (CGS § 10-222h),
2. disseminating grade-level-appropriate school climate
assessments to all public schools (CGS § 10-222h),
3. establishing and maintaining the statewide safe school climate
resource network (CGS § 10-222i), and
4. reviewing safe school climate plans submitted by boards of
education for approval or rejection (CGS § 10-222p).
It also eliminates the position of Director of Reading Initiatives within
SDE (CGS § 10-3c).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025, except the provision eliminating the
Director of Reading Initiatives position takes effect upon passage.
Background — Related Bills
sHB 5003 (File 575), favorably reported out by the Education
Committee, (1) revises the alliance district program by lowering the
number designated from 36 to 20 and renames them educational reform
districts, and (2) creates the same education funding and accountability 2023SB-00001-R01-BA.DOCX
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commission.
sSB 1199 (File 728), favorably reported out by the Education and
Appropriations committees, has the following identical or similar
provisions: (1) educator apprenticeship program, (2) school district
increasing educator diversity plan review, (3) aspiring educators
diversity scholarship program changes, (4) educator diversity oversight
council name change, (5) adjunct professor permit, (6) cursive and world
languages added to model curriculum, (7) credit recovery program
credit permitted to be used for high school graduation, and (8) annual
remaining Open Choice funds use modification.
sSB 1094, favorably reported out by the Education Committee,
contains the same reading curriculum model and program requirement,
waiver, and permitting of gradual implementation for districts not in
compliance and without a waiver.
sHB 6842, favorably reported out by the Education Committee,
contains the same provisions regarding the local food for schools
incentive program.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Education Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 28 Nay 16 (03/24/2023)