Read the full stored bill text
As Amended by Senate Committee
Session of 2025
SENATE BILL No. 48
By Committee on Education
1-21
AN ACT concerning education; relating to school district accreditation;
requiring school districts to demonstrate improvement in academic
performance and be in compliance with federal and state statutes and
rules and regulations to achieve or maintain accreditation; amending
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5170 and repealing the existing section; also
repealing K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5170a.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5170 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 72-5170. (a) (1) In order to accomplish the mission for Kansas
education constitutional mandate of intellectual, educational, vocational
and scientific improvement, the state board shall design and adopt a school
district accreditation system based upon that requires conclusive,
measurable evidence of improvement in student academic performance
that and equals or exceeds the educational goal set forth in K.S.A. 72-
3218(c), and amendments thereto, and is measurable. Beginning on July 1,
2026, and each school year thereafter, to achieve or maintain
accreditation, school districts shall demonstrate material improvement in
student academic performance from the preceding school year, evidenced
by a significant reduction in the number of students who scored at level 1
on state assessments and a significant increase in the number of students
who scored above level 2 on state assessments, pursuant to rules and
regulations adopted by the state board. The state board shall hold all
school districts and each public school operated by such school districts
accountable through the Kansas education systems accreditation rules and
regulations, or any successor accreditation system and accountability
measures plan adopted by the state board. The state board also shall set
required academic performance improvement targets and ensure that all
school districts and the public schools operated by such districts have
programs and initiatives in place for providing those educational capacities
set forth in K.S.A. 72-3218(c), and amendments thereto. On or before
January 15 of each year, the state board shall prepare and submit a report
on the school district accreditation system to the governor and the
legislature.
(2) The accountability measures established pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall be applied both at the district level and at the school level. Such
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
SB 48—Am. by SC 2
accountability measures shall be reported by the state board for each
school district and each school. All reports prepared pursuant to this
section shall be published in accordance with K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-1181,
and amendments thereto.
(3) The school district accreditation system shall require school
districts and public schools operated by such school districts to be in
compliance with the building needs assessment requirement provided in
K.S.A. 72-1163, and amendment thereto, at-risk requirements provided
in K.S.A. 72-5151 through 72-5154, and amendments thereto, and all
applicable federal and state statutes and rules and regulations. School
districts and schools that are found to be out of compliance with one or
more applicable federal and state statutes and rules and regulations shall
be notified by the state board of such noncompliance. Any such
notification shall identify the nature and extent of noncompliance and
provide a deadline for the noncompliance to be corrected. Such deadline
shall not extend beyond June 30 of the succeeding school year. Failure of
a school district to correct the noncompliance by the established deadline
shall result in the loss of the school district's accreditation. The notice of
noncompliance shall be posted on the state board's website and
prominently posted on the homepage of such school district's website until
the noncompliance has been corrected. The state board shall establish a
due process procedure to allow a school district, public school or
individual to challenge a determination of compliance.
(4) If a school district is conditionally accredited, accredited with
conditions or otherwise not fully accredited and , the state board shall
require a corrective action plan is required, which shall be approved by the
state board,. Such corrective action plan, and any subsequent reports
prepared by the state board regarding the progress of such school district
in implementing and executing such corrective action plan, shall be
published on the state department of education's internet website and such
school district's internet website in accordance with K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-
1181, and amendments thereto.
(4)(5) If a school district is not fully accredited for failure to
demonstrate conclusive, measurable evidence of improvement in student
academic performance as required by paragraph (1) , the superintendent,
or the superintendent's designee, shall appear before the committee on
education of the house of representatives and the committee on education
of the senate during the regular legislative session that occurs during the
same school year in which when such school district is not accredited.
Such school district shall provide a report to such committees on the
challenges and obstacles that are preventing such school district from
becoming fully accredited and what actions, including, but not limited to,
reallocation of school district resources, are being taken or will be taken
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
SB 48—Am. by SC 3
to correct its unaccredited status.
(b) The state board shall establish curriculum standards that reflect
high academic standards for the core academic areas of mathematics,
science, reading, writing and social studies. The curriculum standards shall
may be reviewed at least every seven years. The state board shall not
substantially revise or update the English language arts or mathematics
curriculum standards that are in effect on July 1, 2024, in a manner that
would necessitate the development of new statewide assessments in
English language arts or mathematics until the state board's long-term
goal for all students submitted to the United States department of
education in the consolidated state plan is achieved such that 75% of all
students score in performance levels 3 and 4 combined on the statewide
assessments in English language arts and mathematics by 2030. Nothing
in this subsection shall be construed in any manner so as to impinge upon
any school district's authority to determine its own curriculum if the school
district's curriculum reflects high academic standards.
(c) (1) The state board shall provide for statewide assessments in the
core academic areas of mathematics, science, reading, writing and social
studies. The board shall ensure compatibility between the statewide
assessments and the curriculum standards established pursuant to
subsection (b). Such assessments shall be administered at three grade
levels, as determined by the state board. The state board shall determine
performance levels on the statewide assessments, the achievement of
which represents high academic standards in the academic area at the
grade level to which the assessment applies. The state board should shall
specify high academic standards both for individual performance and
school performance on the assessments.
(2) (A) On or before January 15 of each year, the state board shall
prepare and submit to the legislature a report on students who take the
statewide assessments. Such report shall include:
(i) The number of students and such number expressed as a
percentage of the total number of students who took the statewide
assessments during the immediately preceding school year disaggregated
by core academic area and by grade level; and
(ii) the percentage of students who took the statewide assessments in
grade 10 who, two years after graduating from high school, obtained some
postsecondary education disaggregated by statewide assessment
achievement level.
(B) When such information becomes available, or as soon thereafter
as practicable, the state board shall publish the information required for the
report under subparagraph (A) on the website of the state department of
education and incorporate such information in the performance
accountability reports and longitudinal achievement reports required under
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
SB 48—Am. by SC 4
K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5178, and amendments thereto.
(C) The provisions of this paragraph shall expire on July 1, 2029.
(d) Each school year, on such date as specified by the state board,
each school district shall submit the Kansas education system accreditation
report to the state board in such form and manner as prescribed by the state
board.
(e) Whenever the state board determines that a school district has
failed either to meet the accreditation requirements established in this
section, by rules and regulations or standards adopted by the state board or
provide curriculum based on state standards and courses required by state
law, the state board shall so notify the school district. Such notice shall
specify the accreditation requirements that the school district has failed to
meet and, if applicable, the curriculum that it has failed to provide. Upon
receipt of such notice, the board of education of such school district is
encouraged to reallocate shall address the deficiencies identified by the
state board, including, if applicable, reallocation of the resources of the
school district to remedy all such deficiencies identified by the state board.
(f) Each school in every school district shall establish a school site
council composed of the principal and representatives of teachers and
other school personnel, parents of students attending the school, the
business community and other community groups. School site councils
shall be responsible for providing advice and counsel in evaluating state,
school district, and school site performance goals and objectives and in
determining the methods that should be employed at the school site to
meet these goals and objectives, including, but not limited to, participation
in the building-based needs assessment process required by K.S.A. 72-
1163, and amendments thereto. Site councils may make recommendations
and proposals to the school board regarding budgetary items and school
district matters, including, but not limited to, identifying and implementing
the best practices for developing efficient and effective administrative and
management functions. Site councils also may help school boards analyze
the unique environment of schools, enhance the efficiency and maximize
limited resources, including outsourcing arrangements and cooperative
opportunities as a means to address limited budgets.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5170 and 72-5170a are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38