Removing the sunset for the high-density at-risk student weighting under the Kansas school equity and enhancement act.
Impact
The removal of the sunset will have significant implications for state education laws regarding funding formulas based on at-risk student populations. Under the amended provisions, school districts that meet the criteria for high-density at-risk students—i.e., districts in which at least 35% or more of students qualify as at-risk—will continue to receive additional weighting to their student counts for funding purposes. This is expected to allow these districts to enhance their educational practices and better serve their at-risk student populations, thereby aiming to foster educational equity.
Summary
Senate Bill 122 is an education-focused piece of legislation that aims to amend existing statutes related to the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act. The primary purpose of this bill is to remove the sunset provision for the high-density at-risk student weighting, which impacts how funding is allocated to school districts with high numbers of at-risk students. By making this change, the bill seeks to provide more consistent financial support to districts needed to address the specific educational challenges faced by at-risk students.
Contention
While proponents of SB122 emphasize its importance for equitable funding and support for vulnerable student populations, there may be concerns from other stakeholders regarding the sustainability of funding sources, especially with a growing need for educational support. Critics might raise points on whether the funding allocated to these districts is being efficiently utilized and whether it could result in inequalities among districts that do not qualify for the high-density weighting. Therefore, transparency in how funds are allocated and spent is likely to be a point of discussion as the bill progresses.
House Substitute for SB 113 by Committee on K-12 Education Budget - Making appropriations for the department of education for FY 23, FY 24 and FY 25; establishing the mental health intervention team program; authorizing certain students to participate in activities regulated by the Kansas state high school activities association; requiring school districts to post certain enrollment and academic information on school district websites; revising school district open-enrollment procedures; authorizing local school board members to receive compensation from their school district; authorizing current-year student enrollment for determinations of state foundation aid; continuing the 20 mill statewide tax levy for schools; amending the school districts that qualify for and the amount that school districts are able to levy pursuant to the cost-of-living weighting.
Requiring enrollment under the Kansas school equity and enhancement act to be determined using the current school year or the preceding school year and requiring any district that closed a school building in the preceding school year to use the current year enrollment count.
House Substitute for SB 73 by Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice - Requiring school district enrollment to be determined using the current school year or preceding school year enrollment under the Kansas school equity and enhancement act.
House Substitute for SB 83 by Committee on K-12 Education Budget - Making appropriations for the state department of education for FY 2024, establishing the sunflower education equity act to provide education savings accounts for qualified students, requiring school districts to provide a salary increase to all licensed teachers and defining enrollment of small school districts as the highest enrollment from the preceding four years under the Kansas school equity and enhancement act.
Expanding the tax credit for low income students scholarship program act to allow students enrolled in underperforming school districts to be eligible for a scholarship.
Authorizing students attending public schools with low proficiency scores and certain private elementary and secondary school students to participate in the tax credit for low income students scholarship program.