Kansas lawmakers wrapped up the majority of their work at the end of March, including passing a number of bills related to schools. Here’s an update on some of those key bills ahead of lawmakers’ return to Topeka for the annual veto session.
The Kansas Senate voted Tuesday to clamp down on public school protests by requiring students to secure parental permission to participate and by imposing penalties on districts complicit in organizing protests or meek in disciplining student offenders.
Cell phones are one step closer to disappearing from Kansas classrooms after the House passed a bill that would require a daytime device ban to public and private schools.
Parents, first responders and educators are urging lawmakers to require schools to stock naloxone and provide fentanyl prevention education to prevent overdoses and deaths.
A proposed bill would require school districts to verify the gross household income of every student who receives free or reduced-price lunches. Federal law requires schools to verify a random sample amounting to 3% of recipients.
Advocates and survivors of child sexual abuse are urging legislators to pass Erin’s Law, which requires K-12 schools teach about body safety and sexual abuse prevention at an age-appropriate level once per school year.
A bipartisan Kansas bill that aims to implement a bell-to-bell cellphone ban beginning next school year would override local rules and establish one of the nation’s most restrictive policies.
Republican legislative leaders agreed to pay former Emporia State University president Ken Hush $50,000 to spearhead their efforts to slash spending at public universities.
Hugo Phan / KMUW
A bipartisan bill introduced in Kansas would prohibit students across the state from using cell phones during school hours.
Academic freedom, local control and fully-funded special education are among the main values the Lawrence school district will ask the Kansas Legislature to honor this year.
