Session of 1998
                   
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1615
         
By Special Committee on Education
         
12-17
            9             A PROPOSITION to amend section 2 of article 6 of the constitution of
10             the state of Kansas, relating to the state board of education.
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12       Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Kansas, two-thirds of the
13       members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the Senate and two-
14       thirds of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House
15       of Representatives concurring therein:
16           Section 1. The following proposition to amend the constitution of the
17       state of Kansas shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the state
18       for their approval or rejection: Section 2 of article 6 of the constitution
19       of the state of Kansas is hereby amended to read as follows:
20           ``§ 2. State board of education and state board of regents. (a)
21       The legislature shall provide for a state board of education which shall
22       have and for its general supervision of public schools, educational insti-
23       tutions and all the educational interests of the state, except educational
24       functions delegated by law to the state board of regents. The state board
25       of education shall perform such other duties as may be ;'ovided pre-
26       scribed by law.
27           (b) The legislature shall provide for a state board of regents and for
28       its control and supervision of public institutions of higher education. Pub-
29       lic institutions of higher education shall include universities and colleges
30       granting baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degrees and such other in-
31       stitutions and educational interests as may be provided by law. The state
32       board of regents shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
33       law.
34           (c) Any municipal university shall be operated, supervised and con-
35       trolled as provided by law.''
36           Sec. 2. The following statement shall be printed on the ballot with
37       the amendment as a whole:
38           ``Explanatory statement. This amendment would eliminate the consti-
39       tutional power of the state board of education to generally supervise the
40       public schools without being subject to statutory guidelines prescribed by
41       the legislature.
42           ``A vote for this proposition would give greater accountability of the
43       state board of education to the people through their representation by

SCR 1615

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  1       the legislative branch of government. The state board of education would
  2       be responsible for implementation of public school policy under statutory
  3       directives adopted by the legislature.
  4           ``A vote against this proposition would continue in effect the authority
  5       of the state board of education to exercise legislative power in establishing
  6       policy regarding the public schools independent of direct input by the
  7       legislature.''
  8           Sec. 3. This resolution, if approved by two-thirds of the members
  9       elected (or appointed) and qualified to the Senate and two-thirds of the
10       members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of Repre-
11       sentatives, shall be entered on the journals, together with the yeas and
12       nays. The secretary of state shall cause this resolution to be published as
13       provided by law and shall cause the proposed amendment to be submitted
14       to the electors of the state at the general election to be held in the year
15       1998 unless a special election is called at a sooner date by concurrent
16       resolution of the legislature, in which case it shall be submitted to the
17       electors of the state at the special election.
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