This Thursday, June 17, the legislature’s budget-writing committee, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), will finish it’s work on the state budget. Included will be their plan to use the $4.4 billion in new revenue and how they will revisit K-12 education funding. The JFC’s original action on K-12 education included only a $128 million increase which did not meet inflationary needs for school district ongoing expanses and put federal relief funding at risk.
The WASB is encouraging members to reach out to their state lawmakers this week in advance of that vote.
Before that meeting, both Education committees will hold public hearings.
The Assembly Education Committee will hear two bills on Tuesday, June 15 at 10:00 AM in room 417 North (GAR Hall) in the State Capitol:
- Assembly Bill 82 (Rep. Allen) This bill creates sudden cardiac arrest awareness/information requirements for youth sports similar to those currently required for concussions/head injuries.
Under the bill, at the beginning of a youth athletic activity season, an operator of the youth athletic activity must distribute a sudden cardiac arrest information sheet to each person who wishes to participate in the activity. The bill prohibits a person from participating in a youth athletic activity until the person returns the information sheet signed by the person and, if the person is 18 years old or younger, the person’s parent or guardian.
The Senate companion (Senate Bill 95) has already passed the state Senate and under typical legislative practice, this hearing would allow the Assembly to pass (concur in) SB 95.
WASB Position: Neutral
- Assembly Bill 383 (Rep. Kuglitsch) This bill prohibits a school district from being a member of an interscholastic athletic association (WIAA) in the 2021-22 school year unless, during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, for purposes of eligibility during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, the interscholastic athletic association considers the method by which educational programming was delivered during the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year to be an extenuating circumstance that justifies transferring schools.
This bill is similar to Senate Bill 39 (Stroebel) which was vetoed by the governor. That bill had also included a provision mandating the participation of virtual charter school students in resident public school athletics.
WASB Position: Oppose (Resolutions 3.97, 3.98)
The Senate Education Committee will hear a number of “clearinghouse rules” (i.e., proposed administrative rules) and the Senate companion to AB 383 on Wednesday, June 16 at 12:30 PM in room 300 Southeast in the State Capitol:
- Clearinghouse Rule 21-010 Relating to biennial cleanup of DPI administrative rules.
- Clearinghouse Rule 21-031 Relating to age waivers for general educational development tests.
- Clearinghouse Rule 21-011 Relating to changes to criteria relating to specific learning disabilities. (WASB Supports)
- Clearinghouse Rule 21-007 Relating to revisions to pupil nondiscrimination procedures. (WASB supports the goals of this proposed rule but has concerns about some of the rule’s procedural aspects.)
- Senate Bill 384 (Sen. Jagler) This bill prohibits a school district from being a member of an interscholastic athletic association (WIAA) in the 2021-22 school year unless, during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, for purposes of eligibility during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, the interscholastic athletic association considers the method by which educational programming was delivered during the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year to be an extenuating circumstance that justifies transferring schools.
This bill is similar to Senate Bill 39 (Stroebel) which was vetoed by the governor. That bill had also included a provision mandating the participation of virtual charter school students in resident public school athletics.
WASB Position: Oppose (Resolutions 3.97, 3.98)
