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HCS/HB 1789 – This act modifies provisions relating to travel hardships of public school students. BOUNDARY LINE CHANGE PROCEDURES: Currently, school district boundary lines can be changed upon the submission of a petition, as described in current law, and upon the vote of the affected school districts. If one school district votes in favor of the boundary line change but the other district votes against it, the matter may be appealed to the State Board of Education, which must appoint a board of arbitration to determine whether to move the boundary line. This act prohibits a current or retired school administrator from serving on a board of arbitration. This act removes the requirement that a board of arbitration base its decision on the presence of actual educational harm to school-aged children. Instead, a board of arbitration must base its decision, in part, on a significant difference in the time involved in transporting students. (Section 162.431) ASSIGNMENT OF A PUPIL TO ANOTHER DISTRICT BASED ON TRANSPORTATION HARDSHIP: Currently, the Commissioner of Education may assign a pupil to another district based on an unusual or unreasonable transportation hardship. This act allows the parent or guardian of a child to apply, and requires the Commissioner to assign the pupil to another district, if the following conditions are met: the actual driving distance from the pupil's residence to the attendance center in his or her district of residence is at least ten miles by the shortest route; the attendance center to which the pupil would be assigned is at least five miles closer than the attendance center in the district of residence; the pupil's attendance will not cause the classroom in the receiving district to exceed the number of students per class determined as the minimum set by school improvement standards. The assignment will continue until the pupil completes the course of study in the receiving district, and will apply to any siblings. If a parent or guardian withdraws a pupil from a hardship assignment, the granting of any future application will be discretionary. MICHAEL RUFF
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