Committee adopts substitute for open-enrollment bill after extended debate; House committee votes 7-2 to give bill a "do pass" recommendation

Representative Brad Paul, sponsor of House Bill 711, told the committee the bill would create a state-run online resource for voluntary open enrollment among public school districts and said the proposal preserves local funding while allowing the state funding to follow students who transfer.

"This is a choice bill. This bill, the district gives opportunity to opt into the program. If it doesn't opt in, it doesn't keep students from leaving your district. There is a 3% cap. The state money follows the bill. The local money stays local," Representative Brad Paul said.

Paul described multiple changes in the House committee substitute, including expanding the definition of transfer students to include family-based education and nonpublic pupils who live in the district, adjusting timelines and adding a specific section on special education procedures. He told the committee the substitute spells out how receiving districts must handle students with individualized education programs (IEPs): districts must obtain the IEP, may evaluate and revise it, and must offer a free public education but are not required to add new programs or staff to serve an incoming special-education student.

"We've had public…