Education (K-12 Education) in Kansas

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 338: Including a home school within the definition of private elementary and secondary school and defining home school.

SB 338 clarifies that home schools are included within Kansas's definition of "private elementary or secondary school" for legal purposes. It defines a "home school" as a nonaccredited setting where a parent or guardian directs their child's education, aligning it with existing private school regulations. This change affects home school families by bringing them under the same legal framework as other private schools regarding pupil records and school oversight, without altering how home schooling is conducted.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 382: Providing for the administration of statewide assessments to virtual school students by such students' virtual schools, adding third parties who contract with school districts to the definition of special teacher, providing for special education state aid reimbursement for certain qualified teachers, authorizing nonpublic schools to permit nonaccredited private elementary or secondary school students to participate in certain activities and authorizing foreign exchange students who reside with a host family to enroll in and attend the resident school district of the host family.

SB 382 allows Kansas virtual schools to administer and proctor statewide student assessments (like standardized tests) remotely for full-time virtual students. It requires virtual schools to follow strict security rules: assessments must occur during the same time window as in-person students, use synchronized sessions managed by school staff, monitor students via camera (using one device with integrated proctoring or two devices), enforce browser lockdown, and maintain a 10:1 student-to-proctor ratio. The bill directly affects full-time virtual school students in Kansas and their schools, enabling remote testing while ensuring assessment integrity. All costs for implementation will be covered by the state education department, and the policy supplements Kansas' virtual school act. The bill is currently pending before the Education Committee after introduction in January 2026.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Special Education Testing & Assessment

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 339: Requiring school districts to provide elementary students with a certain amount of daily recess, prohibiting limiting or withholding recess for disciplinary reasons, requiring a Kansas state fitness test and designating required recess time as part of the school term.

SB 339 requires Kansas public school districts to provide at least 30 minutes of daily organized recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. This recess time is designated as part of the school term, meaning it counts toward the state's minimum school hour requirements (465 hours for kindergarten, 1,116 hours for grades 1-11). The bill amends Kansas Statute 72-3115 to explicitly include recess as part of the school term and repeals the previous version of the law. It applies directly to all Kansas public school districts serving students in grades K-5.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 385: Establishing Erin's law to require school districts to provide training and age-appropriate student instruction on the identification and reporting of signs of child sexual abuse.

SB 385, "Erin's Law," requires Kansas school districts to implement mandatory programs starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates annual teacher training on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse, including prevention strategies and resource information. The bill also requires age-appropriate student instruction for all K-12 students on abuse awareness, prevention, and reporting options, with a parent opt-out provision. School districts may use approved resources like the Erin's Law Foundation curriculum to meet these requirements.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Teachers

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments towards a degree.

HB 2530 requires Kansas high schools to provide free career readiness assessments (ACT WorkKeys) to students in grades 9, 11, and 12, with participation optional. It mandates that Kansas colleges and universities accept certain WorkKeys credentials (platinum, gold, or silver) as transferable credit toward technical degrees, following American Council on Education guidelines. Schools must publish exam details online, and the state board must report annual assessment data to lawmakers. The bill directly affects Kansas public and nonpublic high school students, school districts, and postsecondary institutions.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 421: Enacting the safeguarding personal expression at K-12 schools act to authorize students and student clubs or organizations to engage in certain speech or expression at school and providing a civil cause of action for violations of the act.

SB 421, the "Safeguarding Personal Expression at K-12 Schools Act" (SPEAKS Act), protects K-12 students in Kansas from school discrimination based on religious, political, or ideological speech. It allows students to express these views in class discussions, assignments, clubs, and clothing - on the same terms as other student expression - while prohibiting schools from penalizing them for such speech. Schools may still restrict unprotected speech (like threats or severe harassment) and disruptive conduct. The bill creates a private right to sue schools for violations, with minimum $5,000 damages per violation, and allows students to use the act as a defense in disciplinary cases. It applies to all Kansas public schools and student clubs or organizations.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 350: Enacting the age-appropriate school device act to establish safety standards and requirements for the use of school-issued devices in certain grade levels and authorizing parents to opt students out of certain uses of such devices.

SB 350 establishes grade-level rules for school-issued digital devices in Kansas public schools (K-12), directly affecting students, schools, and parents. It bans digital devices entirely for K-5 (requiring print-based instruction), restricts shared device use with time limits (max 1 hour/day) and blocks social media for grades 6-8, and allows issued devices for grades 9-12 with strict safety settings (blocking social media, disabling cameras, limiting use to 90 minutes/day). The bill mandates schools to provide media literacy instruction on digital health risks and requires parental opt-out for device issuance, home use, or digital testing. Schools must delete personal data between student uses and maintain safety standards for all devices.

Topics ✗ Education ✗ Technology

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Safety Data Privacy Social Media

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 381: Requiring instruction to provide students with an understanding of communist and socialist regimes and ideologies and that students pass an American civics examination in order to graduate with a high school diploma.

SB 381 requires Kansas public, private, and parochial schools to teach students in grades K-12 about communist and socialist regimes and ideologies through state-developed curriculum. It also mandates that all students entering grade 9 in 2026 or later pass a 100-question American civics exam - modeled after the U.S. citizenship test - to graduate high school. The exam can be taken starting in grade 7, with retakes allowed, and accommodations for students with IEPs follow their individualized plans. This bill revises Kansas graduation requirements under statute 72-3217, effective for students enrolling in high school after July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Education

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2415: Requiring each local board of education of a school district to appoint a nonvoting student representative to such board of education.

HB 2415 (Kansas Youth Voice Act) requires every Kansas public school district to appoint at least one student from grades 10-12 as a nonvoting member of their school board. Student representatives may attend open meetings, express opinions, and receive materials but cannot vote, attend closed sessions, or receive pay. School boards must establish application processes and provide orientation, including a board liaison and training on board procedures. This affects all Kansas school districts and students in grades 10-12, with appointments required by August 2026 and subsequent annual terms (max two total terms per student).

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 164: Prohibiting discriminatory practices on the basis of religion at public educational institutions and authorizing the attorney general to investigate violations and assess civil penalties under the Kansas act against discrimination.

SB 164 prohibits Kansas public schools and colleges (including K-12 districts, community colleges, and state universities like Washburn) from discriminating based on religion or tolerating antisemitism. It allows individuals harmed by violations to file complaints with the attorney general, who can investigate using subpoenas and testimony, and impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation. The bill explicitly excludes religious studies coursework from the prohibition and defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s 2016 definition. Violations must be proven by a preponderance of evidence, with penalties deposited into the state general fund.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

All education bills