This bill introduces two new taxes on large wind farms and solar facilities in Kansas, targeting those with a capacity of at least 5,000 kilowatts. The first tax is a $4 annual fee per kilowatt of capacity, while the second is a $0.001 per kilowatt-hour tax on electricity produced, both payable by the year 2027. Revenue from these taxes will be placed in a new state fund designated for property tax relief, which will then be transferred to support school district financing. The legislation also amends existing school tax laws to allow for a reduction in the statewide property tax levy for schools using these funds.
This Kansas bill imposes a 3% excise tax on all sports wagers placed within the state, requiring individuals who make bets to pay the tax to lottery gaming facility managers, who then remit the funds to the state revenue department. The collected tax revenue is directed to the state school district finance fund, which is used to provide state foundation aid to school districts, while also reducing the statewide property tax levy for school districts by 1.5 mills. The legislation establishes new funds to manage the tax proceeds and refunds, and grants the director of taxation authority to enforce compliance and collect information from gaming facilities. This measure directly affects sports bettors, lottery gaming operators, school districts, and state education funding structures.
This bill requires the Kansas State Department of Education to create and publish a separate building report card for virtual schools offered by school districts, distinct from report cards for traditional schools. The new provision mandates that these accountability reports be made available on both state and district websites with prominent links, ensuring parents and the public can easily access performance data for virtual learning programs. By amending existing education statutes, the legislation establishes a clear reporting framework specifically for virtual schools while maintaining the current structure for traditional school accountability reports. This change directly affects school districts operating virtual programs and the state education agency responsible for compiling and distributing these reports.
This bill reduces the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can levy on taxable tangible property, lowering it from its current level to 20 mills for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, with the rate decreasing by one mill each year until reaching 15 mills starting in the 2031-2032 school year. The tax revenue collected will continue to fund general school district budgets, help cover operating and maintenance costs for public schools, and pay off certain redevelopment project bonds for districts established before 1997. Additionally, the bill prevents school districts from using specific legal procedures related to tax levies, and it directs most tax proceeds to the state treasury for the school district finance fund. This change directly affects school districts across Kansas and their property tax obligations.
This bill lowers the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can charge on taxable property. It directly affects school districts, property owners, and the state school finance fund. The new law sets a 20-mill tax rate for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, reduces it to 19 mills for 2027-2028, and then adjusts the rate annually to maintain the same revenue level as 2027-2028 while ensuring it never falls below 15 mills. Revenue collected under this tax must be sent to the state treasurer and deposited into the state school district finance fund, except for amounts used to pay bond debt on redevelopment projects. The bill also prohibits school districts from using certain tax increase procedures while this rate structure is in effect.
HB 2656 establishes Kansas' "No Kid Hungry in Schools" program, requiring public school districts with high student poverty rates to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students. The state reimburses districts for the cost difference between federal meal reimbursements and the federal free-meal rate, covering up to one breakfast and one lunch per student daily. School districts must participate if they qualify under federal poverty thresholds for free meal eligibility, and must offer two federally reimbursable meals per student per day. The bill amends existing school meal funding laws to implement this state-level reimbursement system.
HB 2637 requires Kansas school districts that qualify under federal guidelines (where at least 40% of students are eligible for free school meals) to consider joining the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows all students in a school to receive free meals without individual applications. School boards must vote to participate if eligible, but can opt out by demonstrating financial hardship at a public meeting. The Kansas State Department of Education must provide assistance to districts seeking to join the program. This directly affects school districts with high poverty rates, enabling them to simplify meal access while offering a financial hardship exception.
HB 2673, the Positive Learning Environment Act, requires Kansas school districts to create school management plans for each school. These plans must define minor (e.g., classroom disruptions) and major (e.g., violence, substance abuse) student behavior issues and establish a clear, step-by-step system for handling them - teachers address minor issues, while administrators handle major ones. The bill also grants teachers specific rights, including the ability to remove disruptive students from class, have their disciplinary decisions respected, and teach in a safe environment, with protections against retaliation for using these rights. School districts must share these plans with parents, students, and staff at the start of each school year and review them annually using behavior data.
SB 440 creates a two-year pilot program allowing private entities to operate special education teacher training programs with temporary (provisional) state accreditation. This directly affects private organizations seeking to train special education teachers, requiring them to provide high-quality instruction to bachelor's degree holders pursuing licensure. The bill permits these entities to collect program data during the pilot and outlines a clear path to apply for full accreditation under existing state law after the pilot concludes. It does not change current licensure requirements but establishes a new pathway for private providers to enter the teacher training system.
HB 2762 amends Kansas law to explicitly include teachers as "a person in a position of authority for a school" under the crime of unlawful sexual relations. This change directly affects teachers and students enrolled at their school, making it illegal for teachers to engage in sexual activity with students aged 16 or older while employed at that school. The bill adds this specific scenario to the existing list of prohibited relationships (like those involving correctional staff or law enforcement), clarifying that the law applies when the teacher has authority over the student. The amendment does not change penalty levels but ensures teachers are covered under the same felony provisions as other authority figures in similar settings.
