SB 624 - This act modifies provisions relating to school accreditation. This act prohibits the State Board of Education from classifying a school district as unaccredited or reclassifying an accredited district as provisionally accredited when there is no State Board of Education member who is a resident of the congressional district in which the school district is located. Each district may establish and adopt a policy for desirable class size and student-teacher ratios. If a district adopts a policy, it is not required to accept any transfer students from unaccredited districts that would violate its class size or student-teacher ratios. If a student is denied admission based on the district's policy, the student may appeal to the State Board of Education. The State Board must then review the appropriateness of the policy. If the State Board finds that the district's policy is unduly restrictive, it may limit the policy. The State Board's decision is final. By January first annually, each accredited school district located in the same county as, or in an adjoining county to, an unaccredited district must report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and post on its website the number of available enrollment slots by grade level. Unaccredited districts, provisionally accredited districts, and districts with an annual performance report score consistent with unaccredited or provisionally accredited in the previous two years cannot receive transfer students from unaccredited districts. This act contains an emergency clause. MICHAEL RUFF
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