State Representative Kim Williams has a good bill in the House Education Committee that will get a hearing today. House Bill 223 aims to streamline the school choice process statewide, making it easier and clearer for parents, guardians, and school administrators to navigate.
Currently, reorganized school districts, vocational technical school districts, and charter schools do not follow the same processes thus causing confusion and barriers for families seeking to access choice for their children. This, of course, creates confusion and frustration.
This Act requires reorganized school districts, vocational-technical school districts, and charter schools to use a standard online application receipt and processing tool approved by the Department that is offered at no charge.
It also clarifies that the application deadlines apply to all students, regardless of age or school. Additionally, it will prohibit schools from asking for additional information that does not directly pertain to an enrollment or program criterion.
The bill will make the timing uniform for the ranked waitlist process. It aligns the sibling preference across all school types and eliminates the separate charter school April 1st enrollment requirement of 80% and moving to May 1st to allow for parents to make a final, informed decision.
Under this bill, in the event of a mid-year termination of a pupil’s enrollment, the sending reorganized school district, vocational-technical school district, or charter school and the receiving reorganized school district, vocational-technical school district, or charter school shall enter into an agreement providing for the pro-ration of student funding based on a formula prescribed by the DDOE.
WHERE IS THE BILL NOW? House Education 6/13/19
DEMOCRATIC SPONSORS – K.Williams, Lockman, Sturgeon, Ennis, Hansen, Sokola, Walsh, Baumbach, K.Johnson, Kowalko, Matthews
REPUBLICAN SPONSORS –
YES VOTES – HOUSE — ||| SENATE —
NO VOTES – HOUSE — ||| SENATE —
ABSENT –
This bill is great. Public schools should all have a uniform application process.
Reading through HB 223, it says, “Additionally, it will prohibit schools from asking for additional information that does not directly pertain to an enrollment or program criterion.” Does this mean charters can still require
admissionsplacement tests, essays, and mandatory parent volunteer hours? Guess I’m wondering if the additional criteria certain charter schools have still exists.I’ll have to catch up on this! I’ve been crazy busy the last few months.