Thank you, Mr. Speaker.…
Rep. Loren Selig (D - Straf 10)Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recommend the body nonconcur with House Bill 1573 as amended. The original House version focused on excused absences for civic engagement and career and technical education activities, overriding existing local decisions regarding these policies. While we support the value of civic engagement and CTE programs, we do not support overriding local school district policies or local control. The Senate amendment goes much further by mandating that the State Board of Education grant school reassignment requests when a student demonstrates what's called a "manifest educational hardship." This is a significant policy change. Under this amendment, the State Board of Education would have the authority to direct students into other public schools, public academies, or private schools, including schools well outside their home district, but the state board is not a locally elected body. It's a politically appointed group selected through the state political process rather than by parents and taxpayers in our local communities. Local school boards are elected by the people they serve. They are accountable to voters at town meetings and local elections. The state board is not. Granting an appointed state board the authority to override local school districts on student assignment decisions weakens local control and removes accountability from the communities that fund and operate our schools. The amendment is also very unfair to local taxpayers. If the state is going to require reassignment of students, even in cases of manifest educational hardship, then the state should pay the full tuition and transportation costs associated with those decisions, not the local taxpayer of the receiving school. Local districts should not be forced to finance placements they did not initiate, approve, or control. Property taxpayers are already carrying substantial educational burdens. This bill creates the potential for additional tuition obligations imposed by state-level decisions while leaving local districts responsible for those costs. If the legislature believes these reassignments are important enough for the State Board of Education to mandate, then the legislature should also fully fund every placement ordered under this process. Anything less shifts both authority and financial responsibility away from the state and onto the local community. We can support students facing genuine hardships without dismantling local governments or imposing new costs on property taxpayers. Therefore, I urge the body to vote no on nonconcur and to protect local control, local accountability, and fair education funding. Thank you.
Speaker PackardThe Chair recognizes Representative Noble.
Rep. NobelThank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill allows for excused absences for students participating in civic and career and technical education events. It clarifies the definition of those events and directs the state board to develop and maintain a list of CTE events that administrators can use to determine if an absence shall be excused. A non-germane amendment was added to clarify that if a parent appeals to the State Board of Education, demonstrating that their child has a manifest educational hardship, the state board has the authority to grant a parent's request to reassign their child to another school and I urge the body to concur. Speaker Packard: The motion before us is to concur on House Bill 1573. Are you ready for the question? A division has been requested. Members take your seats. The motion before us to concur on House Bill 1573. This is a division vote. The Chair recognizes Representative Woodcock for a parliamentary inquiry.
Rep. Stephen Woodcock (D - Carr 1)Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I know that the civic education absence policy, as the Chair of the Committee just said, is an excellent part of this bill, but however, the non-germane amendment is a killer; it's no good, if I know that House Bill 1573 would authorize the state board to have the final say on decisions as to where students are placed if they have a hardship, and if I know these actions by the State Board of Education would totally undermine the decisions made by the local school boards and elected officials in cities and towns, thereby negating the prudence of local governing, which we prided ourselves on, if I believe that if the state is going to mandate these manifest hardship replacements, then they should also be responsible for fully funding them and not rely on property taxes for decisions that their elected officials did not make, and finally, Mr. Speaker, if I truly believe in the two foundational concepts of local control and rejecting unfunded mandates, would you please then join me in voting no and press red on the button to non-concur? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Speaker PackardThe Chair recognizes Representative Noble for a parliamentary inquiry.
Rep. Kristin Noble (R - Hills 2)Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I know that parents can appeal to the state board for manifest educational hardships, if I know that this is often done after months or even years of hardship, as we recently saw with a student suffering from bullying in Seabrook, and if I know that the state board should be able to step in, because someone has to, to make sure that student can receive the education they deserve and not have to be granted an exemption from compulsory attendance, then would I now press the green button to concur?
Speaker PackardThe motion before us is to concur on House Bill 1573. It's a division vote. If you're in favor, you'll press the green button. If you're opposed, you'll press the red button. Voting stations are open for 30 seconds. Have all members present at an opportunity to vote? The House will attend to the state of the vote. With 186 voting yea, 160 voting nay, the committee report is adopted.