cjprecht

Remote Learning in K-12 Public Schools

The 2021 Legislature passed HB 2134, which included several policy provisions and appropriations for the State Department of Education for FY 2021, FY 2022, and FY 2023.

The bill also included provisions related to “remote learning,” defined as a method of providing education in which a student regularly enrolled in a school district does not physically attend the attendance center where the student would otherwise attend in-person on a full-time basis, and the instruction is prepared, provided, and supervised by teachers and staff of such school district to replace the instruction that would have occurred in the attendance center classroom.

Virtual schools are excluded from the remote learning definition and provisions.

School Finance Formulas in the United States in 2018

Funding for K-12 schools generally is based on formulas that include an amount per pupil or teacher, with adjustments based on student needs and capital outlay and debt. This memorandum provides an overview of school finance formulas across the United States in 2018, capturing the choices of all states at that particular moment in time.

Child Welfare System Oversight in Kansas

A number of efforts have been undertaken since 2015 to provide oversight for the child welfare system in Kansas. A brief history of such efforts and recent developments follows.

Premium Pay For Essential Workers

This memorandum addresses the use of certain federal moneys to provide premium pay for certain workers during the federal public health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19.

Regulation of Robocalls

Unsolicited calls are among the most frequent consumer complaints received by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The use of automatic dialing-announcing devices (referred to as robocalls) to make these calls is on the rise, with estimates indicating 4.3 billion such calls were received across the United States in September 2023 alone, down from more than 5 billion in August 2023. Utilities, pharmacies and health care providers, schools, and other entities use robocalls to provide billing, scheduling, and other information to the public. However, an increasing number of robocalls made to consumers are unsolicited, illegitimate, and unwanted. As the frequency of these calls increases, states have been taking action to minimize robocalls. This memorandum discusses the current state of the law concerning robocalls in Kansas and other states, as well as recent legislation and court cases at both the state and federal levels.

Juvenile Fines and Fees

This memorandum discusses juvenile fines and fees, alternatives to fines and fees, the Judicial Council, recent legislation, and the Judicial Branch budget.

Kansas State High School Activities Association and Public School Sports and Activity Participation

This memorandum details the role of the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) in regulating student participation in middle school and high school sports and other interscholastic activities. Topics addressed include recent legislation and the ability of both nonpublic school students and public virtual school students to participate in KSHSAA-regulated sports and activities.

Administration of Water in Kansas

This memorandum describes the administration of water in Kansas by state agencies, including which state agencies have the primary duty regarding administration of water and other state agencies that have smaller roles regarding the state’s water supply.