Brief⁽¹⁾

S.B. 446 concerns short-term suspension of pupils from school. The amendment lengthens the maximum duration of a short-term suspension from five days (current law) to ten days.

Background

S.B. 446 was introduced at the request of Senator Tim Emert. The bill is identical to 1997 S.B. 36 which was passed last year by the Senate. The 1997 bill had been requested by the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB).

Appearing before the Senate Education Committee as proponents of the bill were the KASB, United School Administrators (USA), and Schools for Quality Education. The Kansas-National Education Association, while taking no position on the content of the bill, discussed the importance of providing educational alternatives to a student during the time of a suspension.

KASB and USA noted that the change proposed in S.B. 446 would conform the Kansas statute to provisions authorized under federal law for special education student suspensions. Conferees generally agreed that the proposed change would give school personnel more flexibility to remove dangerous or disruptive students from the classroom.

There were no opponents.

The State Board of Education reports that the bill would have no fiscal impact.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.