Senate committee approves bill giving DPI authority to review school compliance and impose sanctions

The Senate Education Committee voted 6-0 to pass Senate Bill 2,104 as amended, establishing a process under which the superintendent of public instruction may review school districts for compliance with education-related state law and issue corrective actions and sanctions if districts do not comply.

The amendment to the bill, discussed and drafted with the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), replaces language about “guidance” with a formal corrective-action process, defines the scope of statutes subject to review, and clarifies timelines and enforcement options. "For the record, Lisonbee Hicks, with the Attorney General's Office, General Counsel Division," said during the committee discussion, explaining the drafters' reasoning. "If you fail to comply what gets issued to impose the sanction would be a corrective action."

The bill allows the superintendent to open a review based on (1) an allegation of noncompliance submitted by a resident or parent; (2) a majority vote of a school board alleging noncompliance; or (3) a written request from a county superintendent of schools. The amendment defines “education-related state law” as Title 15.1 except for chapters 15.1-15 and 15.1-16 (those chapters were excluded because they relate to…