State is gearing up for Student Success Act implementation even as threats to it remain

A campaign to undo the Student Success Act at the ballot exists but has been quiet recently. In June, Student Success Act opponents filed a petition to refer the bill to voters. The petition, given the designation IP 301 by the secretary of state’s office, needs 74,680 signatures by Sept. 27. If that occurs, there will be a special election on Jan. 21, 2020. OSBA strongly supports the Student Success Act and will be working to educate communities about its potential impact. (Update: Oregon Manufactures and Commerce announced Tuesday that it is dropping its attempt to repeal the Student Success Act, saying a ballot referral would be unlikely to succeed.)

The Oregon Department of Education has begun work on Student Success Act implementation. The law funded new positions at ODE for school district oversight and support, and agency leadership is working to get this team in place. The act requires districts to present four-year plans and revise them every two years, and the plans must include a school district needs assessment. ODE also must create teams to help districts achieve their goals.  

Our Summer Board Conference is almost here! We hope to see you in Bend July 19-21.

Our 2019 legislative summary is coming in August. We track more than 500 bills during a long legislative session. With the help of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, the annual summary of enacted legislation is on track to contain more than 100 bills and should be available by August.

- Richard Donovan
Legislative Services specialist