Education

SB 140 requires Kansas school districts to include detailed historical spending data in their annual budget reports, showing actual expenditures for the current, previous, and second previous years at the object-level (specific spending categories). If a budgeted amount for any category differs by 10% or more from actual spending, or if next year’s budget deviates by 10% from current year spending, districts must prepare and publish a report explaining the discrepancy. All such reports, along with budget summaries showing spending by function (e.g., instruction, administration, transportation), must be published on school district websites and shared with the state education department. This bill directly affects all Kansas school districts by mandating greater transparency in how public funds are spent and reported.

SB 438 requires Kansas school districts with eligible students to consider joining the federal Community Eligibility Program (CEP), which allows schools to provide free meals to all students without individual applications. It directly affects school districts serving students qualifying for free meals under the National School Lunch Program. The bill mandates school boards to vote on CEP participation if no financial hardship is expected, or hold a public meeting to document hardship and opt out. The state education department must provide assistance to districts seeking CEP enrollment. This bill changes how districts access federal meal funding but does not alter eligibility for students.

SB 302 requires Kansas public and nonpublic K-12 schools to ban student use of personal electronic devices (like phones, tablets, or smartwatches) during instructional time, with exceptions for students with individualized education plans (IEPs) or medical needs approved by a physician. It also prohibits school staff from using social media platforms (such as Instagram or TikTok) to directly message students for official school business, allowing only public, one-way communications on approved platforms. Schools must adopt written policies by 2026 and certify compliance by September 1, 2026, covering enforcement procedures and student device storage requirements. The law applies to all on-campus instructional time but excludes virtual schools.

SB 134 allows Kansas school districts to request and receive a teacher applicant’s employment files from their previous district, requiring the teacher to sign a written waiver authorizing disclosure. It mandates that districts disclose these files within 21 days of a valid request, with limited exceptions for pre-July 2025 nondisclosure agreements. The bill clarifies that the original district remains the custodian of these files under Kansas’ open records law, preventing the hiring district from being subject to public record requests for them. This change directly affects teachers applying for new positions and both the hiring and previous school districts handling employment records.

SB 154 requires Kansas school districts to create policies banning students from using personal electronic devices (like phones or tablets) during school hours, except for special education plans, teacher-approved educational use, or health/emergency reasons. It also mandates that schools prohibit students from accessing social media platforms on school-owned computers or devices. The bill directs school boards to establish clear disciplinary consequences for violations and defines "social media" as platforms where users share content with others. These policies directly affect all K-12 students and school staff in Kansas public schools.