Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that establishes school financing and administrative measures.

Highlights:

• Establishes the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program to provide “eligible” students with scholarships to attend a school of their parents’ choice (Secs. 55 & 57).

• Defines “eligible” students as children who meet certain requirements including, but not limited to, the following requirements (Sec. 56):
• He or she qualifies as an at-risk pupil who is attending a school that would qualify as either a title I focus school or a title I priority school;
• He or she has received an educational scholarship under this program and has not graduated from high school or reached 21 years of age; and
• He or he resides in Kansas while receiving an educational scholarship.

• Specifies that the educational scholarships are not to exceed $8,000 per eligible student to cover all or a portion of the costs of tuition, fees, and expenses of a qualified school and, if applicable, the costs of transportation to a qualified school (Sec. 56). 

• Establishes the Education Fairness Property Tax Relief Act to provide ad valorem tax relief to “qualifying individuals” who educate a “qualifying child” at their own expense (Secs. 63-71).

• Defines “qualifying individuals” as individuals who meet the following requirements (Sec. 64):
• None of his or her children were enrolled in a Kansas public school during the calendar year for which the qualifying individual is claiming the property tax exemption; and
• He or she is the parent of a “qualifying child”.

• Defines a “qualifying child” as the natural or adopted child of a qualifying individual who meets the following requirements (Sec. 64):
• He or she is between the ages of 6 and 18 at the time the semi-annual installment of property taxes is due;
• He or she was educated in a private elementary or secondary school; and
• He or she was not enrolled in a public school during the calendar year for which the qualifying individual is claiming the property tax exemption.

• Authorizes the State Board of Education to waive the required years of employment when intending to terminate a “teacher” contract (Sec. 53).

• Defines “teacher” as any professional employee who is required to hold a certificate to teach in any school district, and any teacher or instructor in any area vocational-technical school technical college, the Institute of Technology at Washburn University, or community college (Sec. 49).

Full Bill Text