During a busy week in Madison, that included Governor Evers’ State of the State Address, legislators met to discuss a number of issues as the session begins to wind down. Top of the agenda was redistricting conversations, a proposed abortion referendum, and tax cuts. However in the background, action was taken on a couple pieces of legislation impacting K-12 education.The Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue voted to approve SB 367 for passage as amended. SB 367 would guarantee admission to the top 5/10% of high school graduates to UW-Madison/a UW institution, and require school boards to determine these top graduates via a ranking of GPA. Committee members voted 7-1 (Sen. Nass) in favor of the amendment, and 5-3 (all Dem’s opposed) in favor of passage as amended. The substitute amendment approved by the committee was drafted in coordination with UW-Systems, who is in favor of the amended bill, as part of a larger negotiation over UW’s DEI positions and funding for certain capital projects. Previously this session, the Assembly passed their amended version of the bill along a party line vote. However, the amendment passed by the Assembly, did not reflect the changes made in coordination with UW. If the full Senate chamber passes the version of SB 367 approved by the Senate Committee, the bill will have to move back to the Assembly for their approval. Read more below for the provisions of this bill and more information.
Also in the Capitol this week, the Assembly voted to pass AB 914, which allows schools to hold a stocked supply of bronchodilators (inhalers) for use in the case of a medical emergency. The bill does not mandate that schools hold this supply and provides some liability protections in the case of an injury or unforeseen circumstance.
SB 367: SSA 1 (Specific Provisions for School Boards)
From a Legislative Reference Bureau analysis: “The bill requires school boards, charter school operators, and governing bodies of private schools and tribal schools that operate high schools to prepare a class ranking of pupils on the sole basis of the pupil’s grade point average at the end of 11th grade if there are at least 15 pupils in the class. However, this requirement does not apply to virtual private schools. The class ranking must identify pupils who rank in the top 5 percent and in the top 10 percent, respectively, of their high school class, and may include the class ranking of other pupils as well. The school board, charter school operator, or governing body must 1) provide notice of ranking to each pupil ranked in the top 10 percent of the pupil’s high school class that the pupil is ranked, as applicable, in the top 5 percent or in the top 10 percent of the class; and 2) include that the pupil is ranked in the top 5 percent or top 10 percent of the class on the pupil’s high school transcript. If a high school’s class enrollment is at least 15 but less than 20 pupils, the highest ranked pupil in the class is considered to be in the top 5 percent and the 2nd highest ranked pupil is considered to be in the top 10 percent.”
From a Legislative Reference Bureau analysis: “This bill allows the governing body of a public, private, or tribal school to adopt a plan for the management of pupils who have asthma. The plan must be approved by a physician, an advanced practice nurse prescriber, or a physician assistant. Under the bill, physicians, advanced practice nurse prescribers, and physician assistants may provide prescriptions and standing orders for short-acting bronchodilators or components to schools that adopt a plan. The governing body of a school that adopts a plan and has a valid prescription or standing order may accept donated short-acting bronchodilators or components if they are unopened and unexpired and meet certain other requirements.
The governing body of a school that adopts a plan may authorize a school nurse, or designated school personnel who have received training specified in the school’s plan, to do any of the following on school premises or at a school-sponsored activity:
- Provide a short-acting bronchodilator to a pupil to self-administer in accordance with a prescription specific to the pupil that is on file.
- Administer a short-acting bronchodilator to a pupil in accordance with a prescription specific to the pupil that is on file.
- Administer a short-acting bronchodilator to a pupil or other person who the school nurse or designated personnel believes is experiencing respiratory distress, regardless of whether the pupil or other person has a prescription for a short-acting bronchodilator.
The bill grants immunity from civil liability for injuries resulting from the administration or self-administration of a short-acting bronchodilator 1) to a school and designated school personnel; 2) to a physician, an advanced practice nurse prescriber, or a physician assistant who provides a prescription or standing order to a school for a short-acting bronchodilator; and 3) to a physician, an advanced practice nurse prescriber, a physician assistant, or a pharmacist who dispenses a short-acting bronchodilator to a school.”
