Kansas Senate Bill SB45

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 1/22/25
• Report Pass: 2/17/25
• Engrossed: 2/20/25
• Refer: 2/20/25
• Report Pass: 3/4/25
• Enrolled: 4/10/25
• Passed: 4/10/25

Caption

Substitute for SB 45 by Committee on Education - Requiring the state board of education to calculate graduation rates for all school districts for purposes of accreditation using an alternative calculation.

Summary

SB 45 changes how Kansas school district graduation rates are calculated for accreditation purposes. The bill directs the State Board of Education to use an alternative four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate that excludes certain students from the calculation: students who transferred in without enough credits to be expected to graduate with their original cohort, and students who later transferred to a nonaccredited private school in Kansas or another state. The measure applies to all school districts and their schools, including virtual schools. For virtual schools, the bill retains a separate graduation-rate calculation rule and clarifies that the virtual school’s rate is based only on students who were already on track to graduate when they first enrolled in the virtual school. It also continues the prohibition on virtual schools offering financial incentives to attract students, defining that term as any monetary payment or award intended to encourage enrollment. The bill amends and repeals the existing version of K.S.A. 72-3713 to reflect these changes.

Impact

The bill affects Kansas education accreditation law by changing the statutory method used to determine four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates for school districts and virtual schools. This can alter reported graduation performance for districts, potentially improving rates by excluding certain transfer students from the denominator, and it may affect accreditation evaluations, public reporting, and district accountability. It also preserves and restates restrictions on virtual school enrollment incentives.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing the Senate 32-8, the House 86-36, and both chambers again on conference committee reports with very large margins. That voting pattern suggests general agreement with the policy change, though the House vote indicates some meaningful opposition. No committee transcript was provided, so the available record shows support through final passage rather than detailed debate.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the fairness and accuracy of changing graduation-rate calculations. Supporters would view the alternative formula as a more precise measure of district performance by excluding students who were not realistically on track to graduate with their cohort or who left for nonaccredited private schools. Opponents may argue that excluding these students could make graduation rates look better without reflecting the full experience of students served by the district, especially for districts with high mobility or virtual-school enrollment. The separate treatment of virtual schools and the continued ban on financial incentives may also reflect concern about enrollment practices and accountability in online education.