Kansas Senate Sending Kids Back to School

The Kansas Senate has approved a proposal to require the state’s public school districts to offer in-person classes to all students by March 26th.

Senate President Ty Masterson is pushing the measure, with the number of new COVID-19 cases lower than they have been in months.

Masterson and other Republicans argue that many students don’t fare well academically or emotionally with online learning, and need to get back into classrooms.

The Senate’s 26-12 vote sends the measure to the House.

Some Democrats argued that the bill is an attack on local control of public K through 12 schools.

The measure also could be largely symbolic.

According to State Department of Education data, only five local districts were not planning to have a majority of their students returning to in-person classes by March 26th.