Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:36.719><c> School</c> control of school districts. School control of school districts.
• </c> school boards in the other 23 school school boards in the other 23 school districts.<00:10:06.000
• </c><00:26:57.039><c> isn't</c> school that the school district isn't school that the school district
• /c><00:28:09.840><c> school</c><00:28:10.080><c> districts</c> away school boards and school districts
• The school district would school year.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We've heard from a school nurse.
• So the students have access when school starts at that beginning of the school year.
• We also work closely with school districts and charter schools to strengthen family-school partnerships
• in the virtual school.
• She was moved within the same school district, Caldwell School District.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 531, which updates Idaho school code language on epinephrine delivery systems so schools are not limited to referencing only auto-injectors like EpiPens. The sponsor and school nurse testimony said the change would allow newer FDA-approved options, such as nasal spray, without creating new staffing, training, reporting, or fiscal requirements. Members confirmed the bill does not require schools or LEAs to keep epinephrine on hand. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1288, which creates the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to help reimburse districts and charter schools for unusually high special education costs tied to a student’s IEP. The bill sets a $30,000 threshold, reimburses 100% of costs from $30,000 to $80,000 and 80% above that up to $100,000 per student, and reserves funding between rural and non-rural districts with flexibility to use unused funds where needed. Testimony from school boards, districts, educators, and parent advocates described the bill as a way to stabilize budgets and protect services for students with complex medical, behavioral, and sensory needs. After questions about the funding split and current special education shortfall, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 624, which revises rules for virtual education programs and Idaho Home Learning Academy. The bill requires school board approval of contracts with education service providers, verification of Idaho residency, alignment of curricular materials with state standards, conflict-of-interest safeguards, limits on direct payments to parents, clearer rules for eligible supplemental learning expenses, and district/charter control over hiring and evaluation of teachers. Supporters from Idaho Home Learning Academy, school districts, and parents said the changes preserve virtual school choice while adding transparency and accountability. The committee voted to send House Bill 624 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• push-out, school suspensions.
• in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and in addressing systemic racism in schools.
• School District.
• When I was in middle school, I went to three elementary schools, and then I failed out of middle school
• The middle school and the high school were back to back.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , because charter schools are public schools.
• </c><00:23:27.520><c> school</c><00:23:27.840><c> boards</c> schools can school local school boards schools
• School, middle school English, middle school math, middle school science.
• </c> public school to a private school public school to a private school outside<01:10:41.679><c> the
• in</c><03:01:56.240><c> our</c> school bill school bullying in our school bill school bullying in our

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 69, which would require local school boards to publicly vote on whether to accept or reject charitable gifts or donations, prompted by a case in which a church offered to pay off school lunch debt but the offer was refused and families were sued instead. Senator Keith Murphy said the bill is intended to force transparency and public accountability in similar situations, while acknowledging that boards may still reject gifts with strings attached or for ethical reasons. Members raised questions about anonymity, privacy, and whether school boards already have authority to address meal debt before litigation. Murphy said the bill was aimed at cases where money is refused and families are sued, and he said he would accept amendments to make the vote requirement apply to both accepted and rejected gifts. The hearing on the bill was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 206, which requires public schools to adopt policies limiting student cell phone use during the school day. Trisha Milo, presenting for Senator Rashardi, said the bill is meant to improve focus, reduce distraction and cyberbullying, and create more consistent policies across districts, while still allowing exceptions for medical, disability, language support, and instructional needs. Committee members questioned whether districts would retain flexibility, whether the bill should apply to charter schools and other devices, and whether the annual policy-update requirement and enforcement language were too prescriptive. Milo said districts would still have flexibility in how they write their policies and that she would seek clarification from the senator on several drafting questions. Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association testified in support of the general concept of a cell phone policy, saying many districts already have some form of policy, though not all do, and that existing sample policies are outdated. She said the annual update requirement would likely be burdensome and that the enforcement language seemed intended to ensure administrative involvement rather than teacher discipline, but she suggested the wording may need revision. Members also discussed whether very small districts or districts without schools should be covered and whether the bill should better distinguish between classroom enforcement and student discipline. The chair closed the hearing on Senate Bill 206 after no further testimony, and the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Being in school more is good. required. Being in school more is good.
• . 165 school years, many days we have. 165 school years, school<00:54:07.119><c> days</c><00:54:07.359
• , you know, school nephews to school, you know, school looks<01:08:46.080><c> different.
• And the school<01:52:21.920><c> is</c> school is school is powerless<01:52:23.920><c> to</c><01:52:24.239
• > largely</c> to schools, but schools were largely to schools, but schools were largely unaware<02:24

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• F rated charter schools.
• as public district schools.
• Schools.
• Our public schools are having to do this. Our school districts are having to report.
• to get rid of the bad charter schools and the bad ISD schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• transferred to the school.
• type of school.
• a radius that includes schools that are not, quote-unquote, low-performing schools.
• but not be a D or F school.
• that are D and F schools and now low-performing schools.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• School.
• high schools.
• high schools.
• high schools.
• c><01:26:31.360><c> somebody</c><01:26:31.679><c> can</c> school by school basis if somebody can school

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• virtual school.
• Public school is defined and all of this lives in the public school code.
• dip at middle school.
• And so if a school chooses, there's nothing keeping the school from training your school resource officer
• school.

Transcript Highlights:

• schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• I work in a Title I school. One school.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, kids just move from school to school. So why is it just?
• And it would be very burdensome on school districts and charter schools.
• We have about School districts and charter schools are participating.
• same this school year.
• our schools as it pertains to school safety.

Transcript Highlights:

• But he lives in another school district, and he struggles to know what food is safe at his high school
• celiac disease can safely participate in school meals and every part of school life.
• Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are already required under federal law to
• Our school district is known for being supportive of Being comfortable eating at school.
• know all about the food at their school, so kids like that they're school, ...and their parents know

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held a hearing on two late-filed bills, H. 5012 and S. 2927, titled An Act Relative to Student Access, Food, and Nutritional Information, also referred to by witnesses as the “Snack Act.” The bills would require schools to make gluten-free and allergen-related meal information easier to find online, including menus, ingredients, food safety procedures, and contact information, so students with celiac disease and other medically necessary dietary restrictions can safely participate in universal school meal programs. Committee leaders explained the hearing process and invited testimony from pre-registered and in-person witnesses. Most testimony came from parents, students, physicians, and advocates who described celiac disease as a serious autoimmune condition requiring a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Witnesses said many families avoid school meals because information is hard to find or not clearly communicated, and they emphasized that the bill would not create a new system so much as make existing information accessible. Several speakers cited research showing that many children with celiac disease do not participate in school breakfast and lunch programs, and that communication gaps between school administrators, nurses, and food service staff are a major barrier. Witnesses also said the bill could help students with food allergies more broadly and would support equity in the state’s universal school meals program. A number of students with celiac disease gave personal testimony about feeling excluded, managing food anxiety, and relying on clear school communication to stay safe. One parent and clinician described a child’s severe malnutrition before diagnosis and shared a photo to illustrate the seriousness of gluten exposure, while other doctors discussed long-term health risks from uncontrolled celiac disease and the need for better access to safe meals. Committee members praised the witnesses, especially the young students, and asked questions about cross-contamination, school procedures, and whether regulations or agency action might also address the issue. Senator Joan Lovely, the Senate sponsor, briefly endorsed the bill and thanked the panel. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee closed the hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• charter schools.
• Transportation for before and after school programs at our schools.
• school bus.
• We purchase those for our school districts and charter schools.
• School, high school, middle school, grade school, all the way down, and yet we continue to coddle bad

Transcript Highlights:

• and use of school space are those who are in the school or have students in the school.
• </c> the school. the school.
• They are now active in that school, in our school.
• from a very dilapidated school to a new school, which was Bryan Station High School.
• </c> in the schools. Okay. in the schools. Okay.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses.
• </c> school psychologists, and school nurses. school psychologists, and school nurses.
• </c><00:04:39.080><c> counselor</c> schools had no school counselor schools had no school counselor whatsoever
• </c> our home and school. our home and school.
• high school counselor, middle school counselor, grade school counselor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How are your schools, or what are your schools doing for America’s 250th birthday?
• She did not have any high school or middle school financial literacy education.
• preparation and the middle school look-ahead to the high school course once we know what the high school
• School District.
• This certification involves specializing in school counseling, school social work, school psychology,

Summary: The Senate and Assembly Education Committees held their annual joint hearing with the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, where student delegates presented policy ideas developed over two days. Committee members repeatedly praised student voice and noted that several past student proposals had become law. The hearing began with opening remarks from legislators and student organizers, who emphasized the importance of civic participation and the value of hearing directly from students. The chair also reviewed hearing rules and explained that the panels would be treated as peers in a formal policy discussion. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12, with flexible activities such as mock elections, civic fairs, Socratic seminars, and public comment practice. Members asked about costs, grade-level flexibility, voter registration, and how the proposal would fit within existing curriculum time. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with expanded training and motion rights. Legislators supported the concept but raised technical concerns about fiscal impact, the need for odd-numbered boards, the scope of motioning authority, and whether districts would need reimbursement if the mandate became statewide. A third panel proposed adding middle school financial literacy instruction by embedding it into existing classes, with curriculum and teacher training developed over time by state agencies. Members questioned how it would fit into adopted materials and whether the state should wait until the new high school financial literacy course is fully implemented before designing middle school instruction. The fourth panel proposed expanding restorative justice by creating a CDE task force and authorizing PPS-certified staff to use restorative justice training materials in discipline processes. Senators discussed prior legislation, confidentiality concerns in closed-session hearings, and the fiscal cost of a state task force, while expressing support for stronger restorative practices. The final panel proposed more active mental health education through short, twice-semester classroom sessions for grades 7-12 focused on coping skills, time management, and awareness of resources. Assemblymember Castillo and Senator Cortese questioned whether teachers and counselors could effectively deliver the program, whether it would duplicate or overburden existing efforts, and whether wellness centers or student-led awareness efforts might be more effective. Committee members generally agreed the topic was important but were skeptical that another curriculum mandate was the best solution, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> all schools need AEDs or all schools all schools need AEDs or all schools need<00:42:02.640><c>
• Um those are the career schools schools.
• </c> schools are have been public school schools are have been public school teachers. teachers. teachers
• public</c> school, private school, um, public school, private school, um, public school,<01:45:28.719
• <c> schools,</c> schools, chart schools, private schools, schools, chart schools, private schools, and

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are a very large rural school district, or a rural school district, that factor takes into account
• it's in the 20 percent some school districts that's in the 30 percent this brings them all Some school
• virtual schools.
• Some schools will have them in their lockers. Some schools already have a process in place.
• They do not have an elementary school. They have a public high school, 9 through 12.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• school.
• </c> middle school and a high school, so they middle school and a high school, so they must<00:39:34.800
• , school, school, right?
• </c> charter school or open enrollment school charter school or open enrollment school and<00:40:04.880
• </c> charter school. charter school.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 751 reviewed amendment 2026-1904H page by page, focusing on open enrollment rules, capacity definitions, statewide enrollment limits, denial criteria, transportation, and funding. Members discussed clarifying that districts may set capacity at zero if they truly have no room, creating a statewide enrollment cap of 500 that can increase by 25% if it reaches 90% utilization, and exempting seats already used by open enrollment students before October 1, 2026. They also discussed how the Department of Education would allocate seats through rulemaking, while local districts would still set capacity, with grandfathered seats preserved where districts already allow open enrollment. A substantial portion of the meeting centered on when districts may deny open enrollment applications. The amendment would allow denials for reasons such as chronic absenteeism or disciplinary history, while requiring districts to consider whether those issues are tied to disability, McKinney-Vento status, foster care, or bullying. Members emphasized that such factors are to be considered, not used as the sole basis for rejection, and noted that the bill separately prohibits receiving schools from accepting or rejecting applicants based on pupil needs, special education needs, disability, aptitude, or athletic achievement. There was also discussion of whether interdistrict transfers should count toward open enrollment capacity, with a suggestion that a carve-out may be needed. The committee also reviewed provisions on program-specific capacity, continuous enrollment, and transportation. It was explained that capacity can apply to a school, grade, program, or class, including CTE programs, and that students may be denied if a specific program is full or if they do not meet prerequisites. The group clarified that open enrollment pupils would maintain continuous enrollment without reapplying, though there was concern about how that would work if district capacity changes over time. Transportation would generally be the parent’s responsibility unless required by an IEP or 504 plan, though students may use an existing bus route if seats are available and the receiving district allows it. On funding, the committee noted that the amendment changes the earlier HB 751 approach and instead ties open enrollment funding to base adequacy, differentiated aid, and an additional grant modeled on charter school funding, with dates removed at the department’s request. Members also raised concerns about how open enrollment would interact with existing tuition agreements and whether districts could use the new pathway to alter or pressure those arrangements. Department staff said districts would still be required to maintain a school of record and provide an adequate education free of charge outside the open enrollment program, and that if open enrollment enrollment became unusually large relative to district adequacy enrollment, the issue could be brought to the state board. No votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> school my two oldest go to public school school my two oldest go to public school right<00:09:14.320
• I was a school teacher for 20 years at middle school, high school English.
• and</c><00:12:44.680><c> have</c> middle school and high school and have middle school and high school
• </c> in school because if they're in school in school because if they're in school they're<00:15:09.199
• Student support personnel like school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, school social

Keywords: 1183, house