72-5153. Same; at-risk education fund; identification of best practices; reports to the state board. (a) There is hereby established in every school district an at-risk education fund, which shall consist of all moneys deposited therein or transferred thereto according to law. The expenses of a school district directly attributable to providing at-risk student assistance or programs shall be paid from the at-risk education fund.

(b) Any balance remaining in the at-risk education fund at the end of the budget year shall be carried forward into the at-risk education fund for succeeding budget years. Such fund shall not be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 79-2925 through 79-2937, and amendments thereto. In preparing the budget of such school district, the amounts credited to and the amount on hand in the at-risk education fund, and the amount expended therefrom shall be included in the annual budget for the information of the residents of the school district. Interest earned on the investment of moneys in any such fund shall be credited to that fund.

(c) Commencing in school year 2018-2019, expenditures from the at-risk education fund of a school district shall only be made for the following purposes:

(1) At-risk educational programs based on best practices identified pursuant to subsection (d);

(2) personnel providing educational services in conjunction with such programs; or

(3) services contracted for by the school district to provide at-risk educational programs based on best practices identified pursuant to subsection (d).

(d) On or before July 1, 2018, the state board shall identify and approve evidence-based best practices for at-risk programs and instruction of students receiving at-risk program services. The state board shall review and update such best practices as part of its five-year accreditation system review process.

(e) Each year the board of education of each school district shall prepare and submit to the state board a report on the assistance or programs provided by the school district for students identified as at-risk. Such report shall include the number of students identified as at-risk who were served or provided assistance, the type of service provided, the research upon which the school district relied in determining that a need for service or assistance existed, the results of providing such service or assistance and any other information required by the state board.

(f) In order to achieve uniform reporting of the number of students provided service or assistance by school districts in at-risk student programs, school districts shall report the number of students served or assisted in the manner required by the state board.

History: L. 2017, ch. 95, § 25; July 1.