School Reopening Bill Clears Legislature

The Kansas Legislature has given final approval to a bill that would require all public schools to offer all students full-time, in-person classes by March 31, through the end of the current school year.

It’s largely symbolic because only a handful of the state’s 286 local school districts didn’t plan to have a majority of students returning full-time to their buildings by then, according to the State Department of Education.

GOP lawmakers said children have suffered academically and emotionally in online classes.

Many Democrats decried taking the decision away from local school boards, but Kelly’s office indicated that she would sign it.

Governor spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald said its mandate was possible because of a push launched by Kelly last month to ensure that any teacher wanting inoculations got them.

The measure would apply only to the current school year.

Future decisions on closing K-12 buildings during emergencies or after disasters is left to local school boards.