Fiscal Wins

5% Increase in the WPU (even in a “socks and underwear” budget year)

HB 221 (Rep. Karen Peterson)

• Provides projected $6,000 stipend for student teachers.
• Statewide appropriation of $8.4M one time.

$192/Student Increase in the LRF

HB 105 (Rep. Kera Birkeland)

• $500 to each PreK-6 teacher for classroom supplies.
• $250 to each 7-12 teacher for classroom materials.
• Statewide appropriations of $8.4M one time.

Policy Wins

HB 182 (Rep. Karianne Lisonbee)

• Requires annual parent consent for a school to administer a non-academic survey to students.
• Makes the model school climate survey opt-in at the school level.

HB 301 (Rep. Karianne Lisonbee)

• Eliminates the requirement to send contracts about your facility to the authorizer.
• Requires authorizers and charter schools to develop performance metrics unique to each school.
• Authorizes a charter school to voluntarily merge with another charter school.

HB 499 (Rep. Susan Pulsipher)

• Modifies the frequency of required trainings to match recommendations of the Reports and Requirements Task Force.

SB 173 (Sen. Lincoln Fillmore)

• Greater flexibility for charter schools to target teacher stipends to the areas each school needs.
• Opportunity to give significant bonuses to the best-performing teachers based on each school’s evaluation of who their best teacher was.

HB 82 (Sen. Candice Pierucci)

• Simplifies the trust lands process for charter schools.

OTHER BILLS OF NOTE

Pass

HB 413 (Rep. Steve Eliason)

• If an LEA fails to notify the State Board of Education about whether they will use the student mental health screener, the State Board will include the LEA on a list submitted to the Education Interim Committee.

HB 269 (Rep. Mike Petersen)

• Adds the Ten Commandments and Magna Carta to the list of historical documents LEAs may use in curricula and activities.

HB 29 (Rep. Ken Ivory)

• If three school districts or two school districts and five charter schools determine that a learning material is “objectively” sensitive, then every LEA statewide must remove it.
• The State Board of Education may overrule that statewide presumption if, within 60 days, they discuss that material in a public meeting and vote to reinstate it.

HB 84 (Rep. Ryan Wilcox)

• Requires an armed security person in school when school is in session.
• Requires wearable panic alert device in each classroom and security film or ballistic windows on all ground-level windows.
• Requires each school to conduct a school safety needs assessment.
• Provides $100M one time and $2M ongoing.

HB 415 (Rep. Mark Strong)

• Eliminates curricular and co-curricular fees for core classes that are not electives beginning in FY 26.
• Appropriates $35M one time to be used over three years to help schools adjust.

Fail

HB 514 (Rep. Kevin Stratton)

• Would have permitted LEAs to use volunteer accredited chaplains.

HB 303 (Rep. Jeff Stenquist)

• Would have prohibited teachers and other school officials from endorsing, disparaging or promoting political or social viewpoints.