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May 3, 2007

The end of the session

This week’s links:

What did those conference committees do?

Read any conference committee report brief at the Legislative Research Department website:

Click here for the list of Conference Committee Briefs.

Get the latest Post Audit reports on K-12 education issues!

Click here for K-12 Education: Reviewing Issues Related to Virtual Schools

Click here for K-12 Education: Reviewing the Staff Recruitment and Retention Strategies Used by Kansas School Districts

School issues:

Education policy pieces collapsed into various conference committee reports

You’ll remember all the reporting we did on conference committee meetings before the April recess. Well, those conference committee reports have moved through the process and five of them have been adopted.

CCRB 68:

This bill would remove the sunset on non-proficient at-risk weighting, require schools to adopt anti-bullying policies and implement a strategic plan to address bullying, require the KSDE to assist school districts who want to implement a character development program, simplify the LOB language in statute, and let schools experiencing a disaster to keep the same level of non-proficient at-risk weighting as they had in the previous year.

CCRB 138:

This bill establishes the “Kansas Autism Task Force,” a 24-member group charged with studying issues related to the needs and services available to people with autism and making a report to the Legislative Educational Planning Committee by November 15, 2007.
 

CCRB 2310:

This bill contains the so-called “Lawrence fix” which allows schools that implemented cost of living or declining enrollment weightings to continue to levy a tax at a rate that would generate the same amount of revenue as was generated in 2006-07 as long as their LOB equals or exceeds the amount adopted in 2006-07.

The bill also calls upon the Legislative Educational Planning Committee and the 2010 Commission to study and make recommendations on early childhood education.

They must:

• Prepare a plan which recommends establishment of the Office of Early Childhood Education,
• Develop a coordinated and comprehensive system for the delivery of early childhood education,
• Identify priorities, barriers, and gaps in service,
• Facilitate interagency and interdepartmental cooperation,
• Encourage and facilitate joint planning between the public and private sectors,
• Make recommendations for design of a universal application form, and
• Evaluate and report on the performance and cost effectiveness of early childhood education services.

CCRB 2185:

This bill includes SB 22 and SB 23, two teacher scholarship bills that would consolidate a variety of teacher scholarships into one program and also provide competitive matching grants to institutions of higher education who need to expand teacher preparation programs as a result.

The bill also provides that persons who once lived in Kansas and return within 60 months would be eligible for resident tuition at a state institute of higher education.

Higher Ed Issues:

Technical Ed Commission to continue; new “authority” to work under Regents

CCRB 2556:

This bill would extend the Kansas Technical College and Technical School Commission through December 31, 2008.

In addition, it establishes the Postsecondary Technical Education Authority under the Board of Regents to coordinate statewide planning, review technical education programs, review requests for funding, develop benchmarks and accountability indicators, advocate a policy agenda for technical education, and study ways to maximize resources to best meet the needs of business and industry.

The bill also requires the governing bodies of the Northeast Kansas Technical College, Kansas City Area Technical College, Kaw Area Technical School, Salina Area Technical School, and Southwest Kansas Technical School to submit a plan to merge or affiliate with a postsecondary education institution, or become an accredited technical college with an independent governing board by July 1, 2008.

Deferred maintenance gets a “down payment”

CCRB Sen Sub for HB 2237:

After each chamber had passed a deferred maintenance plan for higher education – plans that were millions of dollars apart – a conference committee got together and more or less “split the difference.”

In conference, House and Senate negotiators crafted a compromise measure valued at $410 million over five years – a plan still well short of the $663 million the Regents say is needed to repair and refurbish their old buildings.

The compromise plan sets aside $90 million in state revenues over five years to take on the needs of state university campuses. Beginning July 1, 2008, it implements $62.5 million in tax credits over four years to leverage $120 million in private donations to universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and Washburn University. It also allows the state to issue $20 million in bonds each year for five years.

The compromise went to the Senate first where it was adopted after debate on a vote of 30 – 8. Those Senators voting against the plan did so for one of two reasons: either they did not support the Regents’ request believing that the backlog of projects was due to bad budgeting by the Universities more than the failure of the state to maintain higher education funding or they did not believe passage of this measure would address the needs of the Universities. Those who believe the latter called this bill a “false promise” to our institutions of higher education.

The House adopted the plan without debate on a vote of 102 – 20.

KPERS Issues:

CCRB 362:

This bill implements a different benefit structure for KPERS retirees hired on or after July 1, 2009.

This bill also contains the “semi-COLA” or “diet COLA” for current retirees. Any KPERS current retiree with 10 years of service who has been retired for 10 years will receive a $300 cost of living one-time COLA. This will apply to about half of all current KPERS retirees.

CCRB 2457:

This bill makes four changes to KPERS statutes:

• Ensure that partial  lump sum distributions from KPERS are place in other tax sheltered investments (technical change requested by KPERS),
• Permit purchase of service credit for breaks in service when serving in UN peace-keeping missions,
• Makes an adjustment in the Police and Fire retirement system benefiting disabled members, and
• Prohibits investment in certain companies with business operations in Sudan.

Budget bill contains some important education appropriations

CCRB House Sub for SB 357:

While education was basically covered in the “lock box” passed earlier in the session to cover the costs of years two and three in the school finance plan passed in 2006, there were some needed school funding adjustments in the omnibus budget bill.

Here are several of those adjustments:

$16,251,000:  Funds school finance adjustments for general and supplemental general state aid in fiscal year 2008.

$16.1 million: From the state general fund, to fund special education excess costs at the 92.0 percent level in fiscal year 2008.

$40,558: Funds one position at the State Department of Education to assist school districts in developing policies and designing and implementing bullying prevention and character development programs (see SB 68).

$500,000:   Additional funding for Mentor Teacher Program Grants in fiscal year 2008. This will fund the second year of mentoring, providing stipends to mentor teachers.

$3.0 million: Partially restores funding for the expansion of the Pre-K pilot program.

The end-of-the-session legislation graveyard

Criminalizing English teachers (and others)

An amendment to the obscenity laws that would have removed the defense of educational merit from K-12 teachers when a parent decided to challenge teaching materials proposed by Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) made it out of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee but was referred to the House Education Committee by the full House. Education Committee members would not give the bill a hearing.

Transportation changes

Two proposed changes to student transportation statutes died. One by Sen. Phil Journey (R-Wichita) would allow buses to cross district lines to pick up students who want to go to another district. This was district raiding issue allowing districts to recruit athletes or gifted children from each other. This did not make it out of committee.

The second proposal by Rep. Clay Aurand (R-Courtland) would have changed the ten-mile rule that requires students to live at least 10 miles away from their own school and less than 10 miles from a school in a neighboring district before the neighboring district can pick the child up. The proposal would have deleted the requirement that the home school be at least 10 miles away. This passed the House but not the Senate.

Corporal punishment

This proposal by Sen. Phil Journey (R-Wichita) would supposedly have given immunity to teachers administering corporal punishment. Other attorneys disagreed. It did not come out of committee.

No higher education for children of illegals

A Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) proposal to strip illegal aliens of benefits that they cannot get under current law also would have stripped their children of in-state tuition rates and, in the analysis of KNEA and KASB, of the right to even attend a Kansas postsecondary institution. The bill made it out of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee but was turned back by the full House when it was referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Mandatory kindergarten

Sen. Laura Kelly (D-Topeka) proposed lowering the compulsory attendance age to six (it is now seven) and requiring Kindergarten attendance. The bill did not make it out of committee.

Required gifted training for all teachers

Rep. Geraldine Flaharty (D-Wichita) carried this bill on behalf of parents of gifted students. It would have required all prospective teachers to take a class on gifted education prior to graduation and all current teachers to take a class on gifted education for their next license renewal. It was decided that this issue was better sent to the State Board of Education. It did not come out of committee.

Linear transition for high density at-risk

An LEPC proposal to change the high-density at-risk weighting to a linear transition from its current stair-step approach was considered. Under the high-density at-risk as originally passed a district that has just over 50% poverty could lose thousands of dollars in funding if they lose just a couple of students in poverty or gain a couple of non-poverty students.

The bill got bogged down in a debate over how to appropriate funds for various categorical areas and, despite widespread support for the linear transition, it did not pass.

Elimination of the mandatory LOB election to go over 30%

Some legislators tried to lift the requirement that there be a mandatory election to increase the LOB above 30%. A conference committee agreed to this idea but the full House disagreed. There is still a required election if a district wishes to take the LOB above 30%. The new maximum is 32%.

Reviewing what passed

HB 2159; military second count date

Districts seeing increases in student population due to an influx of military families will once again be able to have a second count date on February 20. The federal Base Realignment and Closure Act is bringing many new families to Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley.

SB 109; paying teachers before September

An obsolete statute that prohibits the paying of teachers before September has been repealed. This created a particular problem for new teachers who might begin work in early August but could not be paid until the first regularly scheduled pay date in September.

SB 129; school safety and security act change

This change ensures that schools and law enforcement have a manageable timeline in reporting violations of the act to the motor vehicle department and that student rights are protected.

KNEA Legislative Contacts

Blake West, President
Mark Desetti, Director, Legislative and Political Advocacy
Terry Forsyth, Director, Political Action

The KNEA Lobby Team consists of elected leaders and staff. The Lobby Team welcomes member feedback on issues before the Legislature and on this site.