Requires school districts to have diversity, equity and inclusion officers to develop methods to diversify the personnel of the school district and to recommend changes to district policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in hiring school district employees, particularly teachers; requires boards of education to annually report information regarding such policies and practices to the department of education; requires the department of education to annually report such information to the legislature.
This bill amends the state constitution to allow state legislatures to alter or repeal property tax exemptions specifically for private colleges and universities. Currently, exemptions for religious, educational, and charitable properties are protected, but this change removes that protection for private higher education institutions. It would enable lawmakers to modify or eliminate tax breaks on property owned by these schools, unlike other exempt properties. The change affects private institutions of higher education directly by making their tax exemptions subject to legislative action.
This bill allows home-schooled students (who would otherwise attend public school without tuition) to request enrollment in career education classes at local cooperative educational services. School districts must establish written policies permitting this, requiring home-schooled students to meet the same behavioral standards, academic requirements (including annual assessments), and health regulations as public school students. Parents must submit written requests by April 15th each year, and districts may only provide transportation from the student's home school bus route to the cooperative education site. The policy must explicitly include these requirements for eligibility.
This bill requires all public schools in New York to close on Eid-al-Adha (the 10th day of Dhul Hijja in the Islamic calendar) and Eid-al-Fitr (the first day of Shawwai), establishing these as official school holidays. It directly affects public school districts across New York State, mandating closures for these two Islamic holidays. The bill also ensures that these holidays are counted as required instructional days for school calendar calculations, preventing any reduction in instructional time. This policy change applies to all public schools and takes effect 120 days after enactment.
Relates to purchases of food products for school meals from New York state farmers, growers, producers or processors; prohibits sale of school foods containing certain synthetic color additives; establishes a "healthy kitchens, healthy schools program" to provide grants for kitchen upgrades; prohibits school meals from containing more than 25 grams of added sugars per day, in aggregate.
Requires high schools in grades nine through twelve to provide a course in financial literacy; requires students to complete such course as a condition of graduation.
This bill (S 3794) requires all New York schools to accept credits earned in educational programs operated by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) as valid transfer credits. It directly affects students enrolled in OCFS-run programs and the schools they attend or transfer to. The law mandates that schools must accept these credits regardless of other rules, ensuring coursework completed at OCFS facilities counts toward graduation requirements. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires public high schools to offer hunting, fishing, and outdoor education as a component of physical education courses upon request by 10 or more enrolled students. It mandates that schools provide curriculum covering hunting/fishing seasons, allowable species, license requirements, recreational opportunities, and historical context of these activities. The curriculum must be developed jointly by the education and environmental conservation departments and align with existing licensing course content. This policy directly affects high school students and physical education programs in New York State, adding structured outdoor skills education to existing PE offerings.
This bill requires all New York school districts to provide financial management instruction to students in grades four through eight. It mandates curriculum covering practical topics like budgeting, saving, credit, debt, and insurance to build personal financial responsibility skills. The state education commissioner must establish program regulations, develop age-appropriate model materials, and offer technical assistance for curriculum design. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, with immediate rulemaking authorized for implementation.
Bill S 4623 requires the Board of Regents to obtain legislative approval (via a majority vote in the legislature) before adopting any rule or regulation that imposes an "unfunded mandate" on school districts. An unfunded mandate is defined as a rule requiring schools to pay for new programs, higher service levels, or other costs without additional state funding, or rules likely to raise local property taxes. This directly affects school districts (which would bear the costs) and the Board of Regents (which must seek legislative consent for such rules). The bill creates a specific process to prevent new financial burdens on schools without legislative oversight.
