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Health Education as it Relates to Abused Children
SB460
requires a school board to ensure that health and physical education as it relates to abused children is taught in schools
. The bill amends RSA 189:12 and requires school boards to "ensure that all studies prescribed by the state board of education are thoroughly taught, especially physiology, hygiene, and health and physical education as they relate to the effects of alcohol and other drugs, child abuse as established in the definition of "abused child" under RSA 169-C:3, II, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and sexually transmitted diseases on the human system." This week the Senate concurred with an amendment adopted by the House, clearing the way for the bill to move on to the governor's office for signature. This will bring to fruition the implementation of NHSBA's resolution, adopted in January, supporting the "development of curriculum for use by trained teachers in grades K-12 to educate students in the prevention of sexual abuse, with such curriculum to be developed locally."
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Municipal Recordkeeping
HB1395
permits certain municipal electronic records to be transferred to portable document files. The bill amends RSA 33-A:5a, Disposition of Municipal Records, which requires certain records to be retained for more than 10 years on paper or microfilm. The proposed bill will allow storage in "portable document format on a medium from which it is readily accessible." After passing the House, the bill is now in the SenatePublic and Municipal Affairs Committee
and scheduled for a public hearing next Wednesday, April 20, at 9:15 in room 102 LOB. School board members should share their support for this bill that aligns with NHSBA 2016 Resolution #6, calling for updated requirements in statutes that reflect current document imaging technologies.
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Senate Education Committee Hears Private School Pupil Assignment Bill
HB1637
allows a school district to assign a child to another public school in another school district or to an approved, non-religious private school if there is no public school for the child's grade in the child's resident district. The bill also allows a school board to make a contract with a non-religious private school to provide for the education of a child who resides in a district which does not have a public school at the child's grade level
. The bill remains in the
Senate Education Committee
and will likely be scheduled for an executive session to vote on a recommendation next Tuesday morning, April 19.
NHSBA testified in opposition to the bill for several reasons. Two long-standing resolutions, Continuing Resolution I:A adopted in 1991 and Continuing Resolution I:B adopted in 2005, both call for public education funds to be solely used for public school purposes. The resolution also specifically opposes any effort to subsidize elementary or secondary private schools with public tax dollars. The bill also creates confusion and a negative impact on school districts. Current language relative to "Contracts with Schools" in RSA 194:22 would be deleted: "If the contract is approved by the State Board, the school with which it is made shall be deemed a high school maintained by the district." The deletion of this language could cause significant problems with all the tuition agreements entered into between school districts in the state. The elimination of this language goes beyond allowing districts to contract with approved non-religious schools and other public schools. In conjunction with RSA 194:27 it would require a district that currently contracts with another school district to send all of its students to the contracted school district to pay for the tuition of any of its resident students for attendance at any approved school (public or private) to which they are admitted, presumably including expensive prep schools. Another significant problem with the bill is that RSA 189:1 requires school boards to provide an education in standard schools for at least 180 days, or the equivalent hours, as required in the rules of the Department of Education. Schools must meet all the requirements of ED rules, including the minimum standards in ED 306. Non-public schools are approved under a smaller set of different criteria in ED 403, which is far less stringent. This raises significant questions relative to the state's requirements concerning the provision of an adequate education.
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Non-Academic Surveys
SB320
provides that no student shall be required to volunteer or submit to a non-academic survey or questionnaire without written consent of a parent or legal guardian. The bill does create an exception to this requirement for the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After passing the Senate the bill was amended in the House, but the Senate did not concur with the change and requested a Committee of Conference to resolve differences. Senators named to the Committee are Senators Reagan, Avard and Watters.
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Education Committee Recommendations This Week
Senate Education Committee
Memorials on School Property
HB1130
permits, with the approval of the school board or by an approved warrant article at the annual school district meeting, the placement of a memorial or a memorial plaque on school property to honor alumni who have died honorably during active duty.
Ought to Pass (OTP) 5-0 Scheduled for Senate consideration April 21
Objectionable Material
HB1231
requires school districts to provide advance notice to parents and legal guardians of course material involving discussion of drug and alcohol education, human sexuality, or human sexual education. Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) 4-1
Scheduled for Senate consideration April 21
Visitations by Non-government Academic or Private Organizations
HB1232
requires school districts to adopt a policy governing visits to schools by non-government academic or private organizations
. Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) 3-1 Scheduled for Senate consideration Apr 21
Audio or Video Recording for Children with Disabilities
HB1372
permits a child with a disability to use audio or video recording devices in the classroom
. Ought to Pass (OTP) 5-0 Scheduled for Senate consideration Apr 21
Screening and Intervention for Dyslexia
HB1644
requires the commissioner of the Department of Education to designate a reading specialist to provide support and resources to school districts for identifying and assisting students with dyslexia and related disorders and their families
. Ought to Pass (OTP) 5-0 Scheduled for Senate consideration Apr 21
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Senate Action on Education Bills
HB1239
amends references to "curriculum standards' and "curriculum frameworks" in the education statutes. OTP
HB1300
amends the requirement for patriotic exercises in public schools to include a discussion of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner
. Ought to Pass (OTP)
HB1303
establishes a commission to study issues relating to pre-existing districts withdrawing from a cooperative school district. Ought to Pass as Amended (OTP/A)
HB1497
requires school districts to destroy personal information of students following the completion and verification of statewide assessment tests. This bill also gives students taking college entrance exams the option to have all their personal information destroyed by the testing entity following the completion and verification of the test
. (OTP)
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Upcoming Legislative Education Schedule
-
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Senate EDUCATION, Room 103, LOB
9:00 a.m. HB 1229, prohibiting the inclusion of statewide assessment results in a student's transcript without consent.
9:30 a.m. HB 1338, relative to student exemption from the statewide assessment.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
Upcoming Legislative Education Schedule
-
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Senate PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 102, LOB
9:15 a.m. HB 1395, relative to municipal electronic records.
