Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB583 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0583
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 583
8	8	F1 5lr2058
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Vogel and Miller
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Ways and Means
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Primary and Secondary Education – Virtual Schools – Alterations 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to establish a virtual school; 3
21	21	providing a certain standard for the criteria for enrollment in a virtual school 4
22	22	established by the State Department of Education or a county board; providing that 5
23	23	a certain outreach campaign be conducted equitably; and generally relating to 6
24	24	virtual schools. 7
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
27	27	Article – Education 9
28	28	Section 7–1402(a) and 7–1403 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
34	34
35	35	Article – Education 15
36	36
37	37	7–1402. 16
38	38
39	39	(a) (1) (I) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection and 17
40	40	subject to the approval of the Department, a county board [may] SHALL establish one 18
41	41	virtual school for the elementary, middle, and high school grade bands. 19
42	42
43	43	(II) A COUNTY BOARD THAT DETERMINES THAT IT I S UNABLE TO 20
44	44	OFFER A VIRTUAL SCHO OL TO STUDENTS IN TH E COUNTY ON ITS OWN IS 21
45	45	ENCOURAGED TO COLLAB ORATE WITH ONE OR MO RE OTHER COUNTY BOAR DS TO 22
46	46	JOINTLY ESTABLISH A VIRTUAL SCHOOL . 23
47	47	2 HOUSE BILL 583
48	48
49	49
50	50	(2) The Department may provide preliminary authorization to a county 1
51	51	board to establish one additional virtual school on a showing of just cause, as determined 2
52	52	by the Department. 3
53	53
54	54	(3) The Department may revoke approval of a virtual school if during the 4
55	55	previous school year the virtual school fails to meet the standards established by the 5
56	56	Department in regulation. 6
57	57
58	58	(4) (i) A county board may appeal a denial or revocation of approval for 7
59	59	the establishment of a virtual school to the State Board for adjudication during a public 8
60	60	hearing. 9
61	61
62	62	(ii) The State Board shall develop an appeals process to carry out the 10
63	63	provisions of this paragraph. 11
64	64
65	65	7–1403. 12
66	66
67	67	(a) A student who is eligible for enrollment in a public school in the State is 13
68	68	eligible to enroll in a virtual school. 14
69	69
70	70	(b) (1) THE CRITERIA ESTABLIS HED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR A COUNT Y 15
71	71	BOARD FOR ENROLLMENT IN A VIRTUAL SCHOOL SHALL BE REASONABLE AND MAY 16
72	72	NOT UNDULY INTERFERE WITH AN APPLICANT ’S ABILITY TO ENROLL IN A VIRTUAL 17
73	73	SCHOOL. 18
74	74
75	75	(2) In addition to the criteria established by the Department or a county 19
76	76	board, an application for enrollment in a virtual school shall require an applicant to 20
77	77	describe why instruction in a virtual learning environment will lead to successful academic 21
78	78	outcomes for the applicant. 22
79	79
80	80	(c) (1) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, not more than 23
81	81	10% of the students who would otherwise attend a single public school in the county in any 24
82	82	school year may enroll in a virtual school established by a county board. 25
83	83
84	84	(ii) A sudden decrease in enrollment in a single public school that 26
85	85	results in 10% or more of the students who would otherwise attend that public school 27
86	86	attending a virtual school established by a county board is not a violation of this paragraph. 28
87	87
88	88	(2) The Department may authorize a county board to exceed the cap under 29
89	89	paragraph (1) of this subsection on a showing of just cause. 30
90	90
91	91	(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if a county board 31
92	92	receives more applications than there are available spaces in a virtual school, the county 32
93	93	board shall admit all students on a lottery basis. 33
94	94
95	95	(2) A county board shall give greater weight to a student’s lottery status as 34
96	96	a part of a lottery held under paragraph (1) of this subsection based on demographic 35 HOUSE BILL 583 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	diversity under subsection (e) of this section and any other criteria established by the 1
100	100	county board. 2
101	101
102	102	(e) To the extent practicable, the student body of a virtual school shall reflect the 3
103	103	socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity of the students enrolled in the 4
104	104	public school system in the county. 5
105	105
106	106	(f) (1) The county board shall develop an EQUITABLE outreach campaign to 6
107	107	provide information to the public on the availability of the virtual school option. 7
108	108
109	109	(2) The EQUITABLE outreach campaign shall be designed to encourage 8
110	110	applications from students who meet the intent of subsection (e) of this section, including 9
111	111	the production of materials and communications in languages spoken by more than the 10
112	112	percentage of the student population in the local school system determined appropriate by 11
113	113	the county board. 12
114	114
115	115	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
116	116	1, 2025. 14