Legislative Briefs
Students in poverty
What it does: State School Fund resources and local school revenues (e.g., property taxes) are combined to fund the state’s school districts and education service districts. The distribution formula is based on weighted per-student amounts to reflect specific education costs, such as poverty, special education and remote schools. This formula was designed to equalize allocations to schools based on need. House Bill 2501 would double the formula weight for students in poverty.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a work session Tuesday, April 13.
School nurses
Senate Bill 356
What it does: The 2009 Task Force on School Nurses recommended a ratio of no more than 750 students for every nurse. The Oregon School Nurses Association says that, as of 2020, the ratio in Oregon was 4,572 students for every school nurse. Senate Bill 356 would create a full-time position in the Oregon Department of Education devoted to school nursing needs and would require that position be staffed by a school nurse.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a work session Monday, April 12.
Monitoring students’ computers
Senate Bill 594
What it does: Districts have distributed computers and internet hotspots to students to enable them to work from home while classrooms have been closed. Senate Bill 594 prevents a school district from monitoring a student's computer usage via specified software.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a work session Monday, April 12. In a public hearing April 7, the committee expressed a desire to work with the bill sponsor, Sen. Lew Frederick, on a consensus amendment, so the bill’s text may be amended.