SLS 20RS-784 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 496
BY SENATORS BOUDREAUX AND MILLIGAN
SCHOOLS. Establishes and provides for the Purple Star School Award Program. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:1916, relative to schools; to establish and provide for the Purple Star
3 School Award Program; to provide for the designation of schools that take certain
4 action to assist military-connected students and families; and to provide for related
5 matters.
6 Section 1. R.S. 17:1916 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1916. Purple Star School Award Program
8 A. As a member state of the Interstate Compact on Educational
9 Opportunity for Military Children, ratified by R.S. 17:1915, it is appropriate
10 to recognize schools that evidence a major commitment to serving students and
11 families connected to our nation's armed forces.
12 B. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following
13 meanings, unless the context requires otherwise:
14 (1) "Active duty" means full-time duty status in the active uniformed
15 service of the United States, including members of the National Guard and
16 Reserve on active duty orders pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 1209 and 1211.
17 (2) "Department" means the State Department of Education.
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1 (3) "Military-connected students and their families" means school-aged
2 children in the household of an active duty member, who are enrolled in
3 kindergarten through twelfth grade in a public elementary or secondary school,
4 and their families.
5 (4) "Uniformed service" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine
6 Corps, Coast Guard as well as the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic
7 and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Services.
8 C.(1) The Purple Star School Award shall be given to military-friendly
9 schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to miliary-connected
10 students and families and which meet the qualifications in Subsection E, F, and
11 G of this Section.
12 (2) The department shall develop and make available forms on which
13 to apply for the Purple Star School Award and shall establish a time line for the
14 annual distribution, submittal, and consideration of the applications.
15 (3)(a) The department shall form a Purple Star School Review Team to
16 review applications timely received by the department to determine which
17 applicant schools to recommend for the designation.
18 (4) Final selection of schools to receive the award shall be made by State
19 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
20 (5) Each school recognized as a Purple Star School shall receive a Purple
21 Star School Award certificate to display at school and may use the designation
22 on its website. In addition each Purple Star School shall be recognized on the
23 department's website.
24 (6) Each public school district in which all schools have achieved the
25 Purple Star School designation shall be recognized as a Purple Star School
26 District and may use this designation on its website.
27 D. Qualifications. A school must fulfill all required activities in
28 Subsection E of this Section and at least one optional activity listed in
29 Subsection F of this Section to qualify for the Purple Star School designation.
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1 E. Required activities include all of the following:
2 (1) The school must designate a member of its staff as a military liaison
3 who shall serve as a point of contact for military-connected students and their
4 families and serve as the primary liaison between them and the school
5 including:
6 (a) Developing training on special considerations for military-connected
7 students and their families.
8 (b) Identifying and informing teachers of the military-connected
9 students in their classrooms and the special considerations military-connected
10 students and their families should receive.
11 (c) Working with school administration and military program partners
12 to conduct a school-wide professional development that informs staff of the
13 unique needs of military-connected students and on resources available to
14 support these students.
15 (2) The district school board adopts a resolution of the school or
16 district's support for military-connected students and their families.
17 (3) The school keeps a dedicated page on its website featuring resources
18 for military-connected students and their families based upon grade span of the
19 school, as applicable, including, but not limited to the following:
20 (a) Planning arrival.
21 (b) Information on enrollment and registration, preparing to move
22 (educational records requests and transfers).
23 (c) Information on advanced academic programs and procedure.
24 (d) Dual enrollment.
25 (e) Graduation requirements and diploma options.
26 (f) Home instruction.
27 (e) Special education services.
28 (f) Parental rights.
29 (4) The school district has assigned a central office staff member to be
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1 the contact for the school based liaison and military-connected students and
2 their families.
3 (5) The school maintains a student-led transition program to include a
4 student transition team coordinator. This program should provide peer support
5 for newly enrolled and withdrawing students to include those that are military
6 connected.
7 (6) The school district has completed at least one of the following:
8 (a) District wide professional development regarding special
9 considerations for military-connected students and their families.
10 (b) The school board adopts a resolution publicizing the school district's
11 support for military-connected students and their families.
12 (c) The school district hosts a military recognition event designed to
13 demonstrate a military-friendly culture across the school district community.
14 (7) The application is submitted by the deadline.
15 F. Optional activities include the following:
16 (1) The liaison coordinates professional development on federally
17 identified special considerations for military-connected students and their
18 families in the areas of (a) records and enrollment, (b) placement and
19 attendance, (c) eligibility, and (d) graduation.
20 (2) The liaison coordinates awareness training for military-connected
21 family members.
22 (3) The school hosts a military recognition event to demonstrate a
23 military-friendly culture at the school.
24 G. The department shall adopt rules as necessary to implement and
25 administer this Section.
26 Section 2. This Act shall apply beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
27 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
28 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
29 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
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1 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
2 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SB 496 Original 2020 Regular Session Boudreaux
Proposed law establishes and provides for the Purple Star School Award Program.
Proposed law defines the following terms and phrases:
(1)"Active duty" means full-time duty status in the active uniformed service of the
United States, including members of the National Guard and Reserve on active duty
orders pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 1209 and 1211.
(2)"Department" means the State Department of Education.
(3)"Military-connected students and their families" means school-aged children in the
household of an active duty member, who are enrolled in kindergarten through 12th
grade in a public elementary or secondary school, and their families.
(4)"Uniformed service" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard
as well as the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and Public Health Services.
Proposed law provides that the Purple Star School Award shall be given to military-friendly
schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to miliary-connected students and
families and which meet the qualifications in proposed law.
Proposed law requires the State Department of Education ("department") to develop and
make available forms on which to apply for the Purple Star School Award and establish a
time line for the annual distribution, submittal, and consideration of the applications.
Proposed law requires that the department form a Purple Star School Review Team to review
applications timely received by the department to determine which applicant schools to
recommend for the designation. Provides that final selection of schools to receive the award
shall be made by BESE.
Proposed law provides that each school recognized as a Purple Star School shall receive a
Purple Star School Award to display at school and may use the designation on its website.
In addition each Purple Star School shall be recognized on the department's website.
Proposed law provides that each public school district in which all schools have achieved
the Purple Star School designation shall be recognized as a Purple Star School District and
may use this designation on its website.
Proposed law requires that a school fulfill all required activities listed in proposed law and
at least one optional activity listed in proposed law to qualify for the Purple Star School
designation.
Required activities include all of the following:
(1)The school must designate a member of its staff as a military liaison who shall serve
as a point of contact for military-connected students and their families and serve as
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the primary liaison between them and the school including:
(a)Developing training on special considerations for military-connected students
and families.
(b)Identifying and informing teachers of the military-connected students in their
classrooms and the special considerations military-connected students and
their families should receive.
(c)Working with school administration and military program partners to
conduct a school-wide professional development that informs staff of the
unique needs of military-connected students and on resources available to
support these students.
(2)The district school board adopts a resolution of the school or district's support for
military-connected students and their families.
(3)The school keeps a dedicated page on its website featuring resources for military-
connected student and their families including planning arrival, information on
enrollment and registration, preparing to move (educational records requests and
transfers), information on advanced academic programs and procedure, graduation
requirements, diploma options, and home instruction, and special education services
and parental rights.
(4)The school district has assigned a central office staff member to be the contact for
the school based liaison and military-connected students and their families.
(5)The school maintains a student-led transition program to include a student transition
team coordinator. This program should provide peer support for newly enrolled and
withdrawing students to include those that are military connected.
(6)The school district has completed at least one of the following:
(a)District wide professional development regarding special considerations for
military-connected students and their families.
(b)The school board adopts a resolution publicizing the school district's support
for military-connected students and their families.
(c)The school district hosts a military recognition event designed to demonstrate
a military-friendly culture across the school district community.
(7) The application is submitted by the deadline.
Optional activities include the following:
(1)The liaison coordinates professional development on federally identified special
considerations for military-connected students and families in the areas of (a) records
and enrollment, (b) placement and attendance, (c) eligibility, and (d) graduation.
(2)The liaison coordinates awareness training for military-connected family members.
(3)The school hosts a military recognition event to demonstrate a military-friendly
culture at the school.
Authorizes the department to adopt rules as necessary to implement and administer proposed
law.
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Provides that the Act applies 2020-2021 school year.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:1916)
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