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Minutes for SB48 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Requiring school districts to demonstrate improvement in academic performance and be in compliance with all federal and state statutes and rules and regulations to achieve or maintain accreditation.
Minutes Content for Fri, Feb 7, 2025
Chairman Erickson opened the hearing on SB48.
Tamera Lawrence, Assistant Revisor, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, gave an overview of the bill. (Attachment 1)
Proponent testimony:
Mike O'Neal, on behalf of Kansas Policy Institute, stated the Legislature has amended the accreditation law several times in the past and this bill would again. Currently the accreditation law requires for the SBOE based accreditation upon measurable improvement in performance. This bill is intended to re-enforce the Legislature's intent and mandate the Legislature to provide for intellectual, educational, vocational, and scientific improvement by maintaining public schools educational institutions and related activities which may be organized and changed in such manner as may be provided by law. The statutes setting forth the Rules and Regs of the SBOE were listed in testimony as well part of the discussion of the July SBOE meeting. Also listed is how this bill will amend the current accreditation statute. See below the attachment to this testimony:
Trish O'Neal, memo to Mike O'Neal, listed the history of accreditation of Kansas schools.
- Prior to 1992, it was based on observable things i.e. teacher certification, how many books were in the library, etc.
- 1992-2001, Quality Performance Accreditation
- 2001-2014, No Child Left Behind
- 2014-2018, Transition
- 2018-2024, Kansas Education Systems Accreditation
The screenshot on the following page shows there were 157 public school districts (179 including private and Special Purpose districts) which had not been formally accredited until as late as 2023 (Possibly from 2014 until 2023). (Attachment 2)
Proponent Written Testimony:
Ward Cassidy, Executive Director, Kansas School Board Resource Center (Attachment 3)
Opponent Testimony:
Leah Fliter, Assistant Executive Director of Advocacy, Kansas Association of School Boards, said this bill appears to conflict with the state constitution's granting of the "general supervision" of public schools-which includes decisions on accreditation-to the State Board of Education. In addition to constitutional concerns, phrase "not in compliance" on page 2 of the bill is confusing. This is so vague as to be unworkable. We respectfully ask the committee, under this bill, who decides what "in compliance" means, and when? Is it when the State Board of Education makes that determination? A court? A single legislator or parent? We respectfully suggest this phrase is not a workable standard, and highlights the constitutional problems noted above. (Attachment 4)
Mary F. Sinclair, PhD., Kansas PTA Advocacy Team, stated the underlying assumption of this bill is inappropriately punitive, disrespectful of administrators, educations and support staff and in opposition to the Kansas PTA mission and Legislative Platform.
- The language in the bill is problematically vague.
- Estimates the number of regulations, rules, federal laws and state laws to be in the thousands if not more.
- Nearly 90% of all Kansas students and parents rely on a robust public education system that is responsive to the ever-changing demands of the society into which students graduate.
- The 280 plus public school superintendents, 2,800 elected school board members and their professional associations are intentional about remaining in compliance with state law and regulations.
- The Kansas public school system is the only institution dedicated to providing a quality education to 500,000 Kansas children.
- Compliance is the component of the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) and State Board of Education (SBOE) accreditation requirements.
- The Kansas SBOE has authority over educational policy. (Attachment 5)
Cathy Hopkins, Liasion, Kansas State Board of Education, stated that this bill would derogate the State Board of Education's Constitutional authority to provide general supervision over public schools, educational institutions and all the state's education interests, which includes the authority to set accreditation and curriculum standards. (Attachment 6)
Opponent Written Testimony:
Kelly Bielefeld, Superintendent, USD259 - Wichita Public Schools (Attachment 7)
Ben Jones, Representative of Kansans for Excellence in Education (Attachment 8)
Timothy R Graham, Director of Government Relations and Legislative Affairs (Attachment 9)
Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Superintendent, Blue Valley Schools (Attachment 10)
Discussion followed.
The Chair closed the hearing on SB48.
