Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday, May 15, signed House Substitute for Senate Bill 387 into law.

The bill fully funds K-12 education, including special education.

Nine different bills were added into House Sub for SB 387 during the 2024 Kansas Legislative session.

• HB 2738 -Special Education
  • Revising the special education state aid statewide excess costs calculation.
  • Requires the calculation of school district-level excess costs.
  • Requires districts to transfer funding attributable to special education from LOB (local option budget) to special education.
  • Requires the Kansas State Board of Education to develop a formula to distribute the new State General Fund funding of $73 million.
  • LOB attributable to the special education state aid is not counted as state aid and will not decrease future state obligations.
• HB 2650 – Amendments to At-Risk Education
  • A two-year pilot would require school districts to:
  • Establish an at-risk student accountability plan, including budgeting and expenditures.
  • Show academic improvement in certain student cohorts and students identified as eligible for at-risk programs.
  • The penalty to at-risk funding if cohorts do not meet their goals after five years is delayed.
  • The State Board will approve and provide a list of at-risk education programs and evidence-based instruction.
  • The State Board cannot substantially change math and English language arts (ELA) standards.
• HB 2506 – Virtual school student participation in KSHSAA activities
  • Virtual school students will have no minimum requirement to participate in Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) sports/activities in their district of residence.
  • Enrollment requirements are permitted if they apply to all students participating.
  • Part-time virtual school students will be funded based on the proportion of $5,600.
• HB 2717 – Adult virtual student funding audits
  • Audit procedures will be published on KSDE’s website.
  • This portion of the bill clarifies funding only for the previous year.
• HB 2514 – Open enrollment
  • Kansas students are prioritized over out-of-state students.
  • Continued enrollment will be provided for non-resident students who attended their school district in the 2023-2024 school year. This includes current non-resident students and resident students who become non-residents.
  • School districts are authorized to deem students as “not in good standing” prior to enrollment. Parents may appeal the “not in good standing” decision to their local board of education.
  • Publication of open enrollment policies and amendments is required on the school district website.
  • Transportation is not provided unless required by other law or regulation.
  • The open enrollment application window is changed to Jan. 1-June 15.
  • Virtual schools are exempt from open enrollment.
• HB 2489 – Disposing of district property 
  • The legislative option to purchase school district buildings to buildings formerly used as attendance centers is limited.
  • The Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) is allowed to waive the legislative option to purchase school district buildings.
  • Districts may proceed if the legislature does not respond within the 45-day window or if the state does not take title within 180 days of resolution or extension.
  • Districts may not deny selling or leasing a building solely based on the intention to use the building as a non-public school.
• HB 2594 – Establishes the School Funding Task Force and abolishes the Special Education Funding Task Force. 
  • The School Funding Task Force must consist of:
    • 11 voting members
    • Six legislators
    • Kansas State Board of Education member
    • Parent
    • Teacher
    • Rural superintendent
    • Urban superintendent
  • Four ex officio members
    • KSDE deputy commissioner
    • Children’s Cabinet executive director
    • KSDE director of Special Education and Title Services (SETS)
    • Director of Division of Budget
  • Appointments must be made by Nov. 30, 2024.
  • The task force must send reports to the legislature on Jan. 11, 2027.
• HB 2802 – Governor’s KSDE budget recommendations 
  • State Foundation Aid funds increased.
  • Current funding levels for most programs is maintained.
  • $65 million in SGF and $2.5 million ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund is added to special education state aid.

Gov. Kelly line-item vetoed language in the Safe and Secure Schools Grant provision that would have required the funds to only be used for a pilot program with ZeroEyes to add software to existing cameras to identify guns within schools. The $5 million in funding for school safety grants remains, however.

The governor requests the Kansas State Department of Education continue to administer the program as the previous year with the addition of AEDs as allowable expenses. Narcan will no longer be an allowable expense since it is widely available without cost.

Since the legislature adjourned sine die on April 30, there is no opportunity to reconsider the line-item veto, therefore it is sustained.

House Sub for SB 387 will go into effect upon publication in the Kansas Register. To read more about the bill, click here.