SESSION OF 2025
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE
BILL NO. 45
As Recommended by Senate Committee on
Education
Brief*
Sub. for SB 45 would establish a statutory calculation,
for purposes of accreditation, of the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for each school district and any schools within
the district, including virtual.
Graduation Calculation Rate
The bill would require, for purposes of accreditation, a
school district to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for the school district and the district’s
schools, including virtual schools, in the following manner:
●Only include students enrolled in the school or
school district who had earned sufficient credits to
be expected to graduate in the same school year
as such student’s cohort at the time such student
first enrolled in such virtual school; and
●Exclude students who were enrolled in a virtual
school but transferred a nonaccredited private
school in Kansas or another state.
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*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
https://klrd.gov/ Repealed Graduation Calculation
The bill would repeal the current statutory four-year
adjusted cohort calculation for only virtual schools that is
found in KSA 72-3713.
[Note: The current calculation is similar to the one
described above but does not allow for the exclusion of
students in a virtual school who transferred to a
nonaccredited private school.]
Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Education at the request of Senator Thomas.
Senate Committee on Education
In the Senate Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by a representative of the Insight School of
Kansas. The proponent stated that the bill would help virtual
schools by treating a student who transfers from the virtual
school to a nonaccredited private school the same as if the
student had transferred between brick and mortar schools by
removing the students from the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate. The proponent said currently those students
remain as part of the cohort and so virtual schools are
penalized by graduation rates appearing to be lower than
they may actually be.
Opponent testimony was provided by a representative
of the Kansas Association of School Boards. The opponent
stated that the organization supports the authority of the
Kansas State Board of Education regarding matters of
accreditation. Additionally, the opponent stated that the bill
would create a double standard where virtual schools would
be able to calculate their four-year adjusted cohort graduation
rates differently than allowed for brick and mortar schools
2- 45 when calculating their four-year adjusted cohort graduation
rates.
Written-only opponent testimony was provided by the
Kansas State Board of Education.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to make the
four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate applicable to all
schools, not just virtual schools, and to remove references to
“homeschooling” and placed the amended contents into a
substitute bill.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Kansas State
Department of Education indicates that enactment of the bill
would have no fiscal effect.
Education; K-12; graduation calculations; virtual schools
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