KS
Kansas House Bill HB2612

Kansas 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2612 Compare Versions

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11 Session of 2024
22 HOUSE BILL No. 2612
33 By Committee on K-12 Education Budget
44 Requested by Representative Thomas
55 1-25
66 AN ACT concerning education; relating to school district accreditation;
77 requiring school districts to be in compliance with all state laws and
88 rules and regulations to be accredited; requiring school districts to
99 notify parents in writing if the school district is not accredited;
1010 requiring the state board to establish a process to challenge a
1111 determination of school district compliance with state laws and rules
1212 and regulations; amending K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-5170 and repealing
1313 the existing section.
1414 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
1515 Section 1. K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-5170 is hereby amended to read as
1616 follows: 72-5170. (a) (1) In order to accomplish the mission for Kansas
1717 education, the state board shall design and adopt a school district
1818 accreditation system based upon improvement in performance that equals
1919 or exceeds the educational goal set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and
2020 amendments thereto, and is measurable. The state board shall hold all
2121 school districts accountable through the Kansas education systems
2222 accreditation rules and regulations, or any successor accreditation system
2323 and accountability plan adopted by the state board. The state board also
2424 shall ensure that all school districts and the public schools operated by
2525 such districts have programs and initiatives in place for providing those
2626 educational capacities set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments
2727 thereto. On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall prepare
2828 and submit a report on the school district accreditation system to the
2929 governor and the legislature.
3030 (2) The accountability measures established pursuant to paragraph (1)
3131 shall be applied both at the district level and at the school level. Such
3232 accountability measures shall be reported by the state board for each
3333 school district and each school. All reports prepared pursuant to this
3434 section shall be published in accordance with K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-1181,
3535 and amendments thereto.
3636 (3) (A) The school district accreditation system shall require school
3737 districts to be in compliance with all applicable state laws and rules and
3838 regulations. Any school district not in compliance with such laws and
3939 rules and regulations shall not be accredited. A school district that is not
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7575 accredited for failing to comply with state laws or rules and regulations
7676 shall notify each parent of a student enrolled in such school district in
7777 writing that such school district is no longer accredited.
7878 (B) After a school district is not accredited for failing to comply with
7979 state laws and rules and regulations, such school district may only become
8080 accredited if an audit conducted by the state department of education
8181 determines that the school district made the changes necessary to be in
8282 compliance with state laws and rules and regulations.
8383 (C) The state board shall establish a process to allow an individual to
8484 challenge a determination of school district compliance or noncompliance
8585 with state laws and rules and regulations.
8686 (4) If a school district is not fully accredited and a corrective action
8787 plan is required by the state board, such corrective action plan, and any
8888 subsequent reports prepared by the state board regarding the progress of
8989 such school district in implementing and executing such corrective action
9090 plan, shall be published on the state department of education's internet
9191 website and such school district's internet website in accordance with
9292 K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-1181, and amendments thereto.
9393 (4)(5) If a school district is not accredited, the superintendent, or the
9494 superintendent's designee, shall appear before the committee on education
9595 of the house of representatives and the committee on education of the
9696 senate during the regular legislative session that occurs during the same
9797 school year in which when such school district is not accredited. Such
9898 school district shall provide a report to such committees on the challenges
9999 and obstacles that are preventing such school district from becoming
100100 accredited.
101101 (b) The state board shall establish curriculum standards that reflect
102102 high academic standards for the core academic areas of mathematics,
103103 science, reading, writing and social studies. The curriculum standards shall
104104 be reviewed at least every seven years. Nothing in this subsection shall be
105105 construed in any manner so as to impinge upon any school district's
106106 authority to determine its own curriculum.
107107 (c) The state board shall provide for statewide assessments in the core
108108 academic areas of mathematics, science, reading, writing and social
109109 studies. The board shall ensure compatibility between the statewide
110110 assessments and the curriculum standards established pursuant to
111111 subsection (b). Such assessments shall be administered at three grade
112112 levels, as determined by the state board. The state board shall determine
113113 performance levels on the statewide assessments, the achievement of
114114 which represents high academic standards in the academic area at the
115115 grade level to which the assessment applies. The state board should specify
116116 high academic standards both for individual performance and school
117117 performance on the assessments.
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161161 (d) Each school year, on such date as specified by the state board,
162162 each school district shall submit the Kansas education system accreditation
163163 report to the state board in such form and manner as prescribed by the state
164164 board.
165165 (e) Whenever the state board determines that a school district has
166166 failed either to meet the accreditation requirements established by rules
167167 and regulations or standards adopted by the state board or provide
168168 curriculum based on state standards and courses required by state law, the
169169 state board shall so notify the school district. Such notice shall specify the
170170 accreditation requirements that the school district has failed to meet and
171171 the curriculum that it has failed to provide. Upon receipt of such notice,
172172 the board of education of such school district is encouraged to reallocate
173173 the resources of the school district to remedy all deficiencies identified by
174174 the state board.
175175 (f) Each school in every school district shall establish a school site
176176 council composed of the principal and representatives of teachers and
177177 other school personnel, parents of students attending the school, the
178178 business community and other community groups. School site councils
179179 shall be responsible for providing advice and counsel in evaluating state,
180180 school district, and school site performance goals and objectives and in
181181 determining the methods that should be employed at the school site to
182182 meet these goals and objectives. Site councils may make recommendations
183183 and proposals to the school board regarding budgetary items and school
184184 district matters, including, but not limited to, identifying and implementing
185185 the best practices for developing efficient and effective administrative and
186186 management functions. Site councils also may help school boards analyze
187187 the unique environment of schools, enhance the efficiency and maximize
188188 limited resources, including outsourcing arrangements and cooperative
189189 opportunities as a means to address limited budgets.
190190 Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 72-5170 is hereby repealed.
191191 Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
192192 publication in the statute book.
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