Parents and taxpayers will be able to see where their tax dollars are going and what is being taught in public schools. On Tuesday, the State Senate approved two bills I co-authored that will bring transparency and accountability to school districts. The measures will help parents stay engaged in their children’s education.
When parents are engaged in their children’s schooling, those children will perform better. These two important reforms will make it easier for busy parents to be involved and stay informed.
Senate Bill 463, authored by Senator Duey Stroebel and myself, requires school districts to post course information including bibliographic information, copies of course content created by staff, syllabi, outlines, handouts, and links to adopted curricula to the school district website. There is a growing concern in our nation about what is being taught in taxpayer-funded schools. This bill will make it easier for parents, taxpayers, and concerned citizens to see what our schools are teaching.
Senate Bill 373, authored by Senator Mary Felzkowski and myself, will help the public better track their school district's funding and spending. Not only do our schools receive millions from the state, but they will be getting millions in COVID-19 funding. Under this bill, all financial information for schools would be on the Department of Public Instruction's website in an easy-to-understand format. This data already exists, so posting it won't cost our schools any additional money
On Tuesday, Senate Bill 463 was approved by a vote of 19-11 in the State Senate and also approved by the Assembly 60-38. Senate Bill 373 was approved by the Senate on a vote of 20-12 and unanimously by the Assembly. Both bills are now available to send to the governor.
