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Minutes for HB2320 - Committee on K-12 Education Budget
Short Title
Authorizing children in the custody of the secretary of the department for children and families to attend school in any school district, requiring records for such students to be timely transferred between school districts and requiring a transportation plan if the child remains in the school of origin.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 11, 2026
Chairman Goetz opened the hearing on HB 2320
Nick Meyers, Kansas Revisor of Statutes Office, Shared a bill brief relating to HB 2320.
Rebecca Gerhardt, Director of Permanency and Licensing, Department of Children and Families, shared her testimony about the condition of the foster care system,
Stories of children's successes, leadership plans and needs for the foster care system. (Attachment 2)
Kristelle Hedrick, CEO, Children's Alliance of Kansas, Spoke of some historical information of the foster care program,
Problems with placement instability, How this bill would help to make changing schools for foster Care children a smoother transaction. (Attachment 3)
Shannon Kimball, Kansas Association of School Boards, spoke about the supports that Kansas Association School Board can help with to enable foster children a better transition
from school to school. (Attachment 4)
Dr. Harwood, Deputy Commissioner, Kansas State Department of Education, Spoke directly about how all schools do not have school records in the same systems and how they are trying a new system to help the transfer of records during a school to school move of a student.
Proponents written only testimony:
Claudia Fury-Aguirre, Manager of Kansas Policy and Outreach, Aligned (Attachment 5)
Timothy Graham,Director of Government Relations & Legislative Affairs, Kansas National Education Association.(Attachment 6)
Angela Hendrick, Vice President of Operations, Kaw Valley Center, Kansas (Attachment 7) (Attachment 8)
Kerrie Lonard, Child Advocate, Office of the Child Advocate State of Kansas. (Attachment 9)
After a period of questions Chairman Goetz closed the hearing on HB 2320.
