HB 1003

Present law establishes the following requirements for schools: (1) Class sizes are limited on a scale of averages and minimums w ith the lowest being for kindergarten-3 and career and technical education at an average of 20 and a maximum of 25 students and the highest being for grades seven-12 at an average of 30 and a maximum of 35 students; (2) There must be 180 days for classro om instruction with 6.5 hours instructional time per such day; (3) The commissioner of health is authorized to designate diseases against which children must be immunized prior to attendance at any school of this state; and (4) Students in grades three -11 must be annually administered a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math. This bill specifies that the state board of education is prohibited from requiring compliance with (1) – (4) for a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program and that is regionally accredited by one of the Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the state board's policies. ON MARCH 20, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AN D PASSED SENATE BILL 827, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:  Requires the fully online, self-paced education program offered by a private school to also be accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission .  Removes the provision prohibiting the state from requiring a private school described in the bill to a dminister, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math to each student enrolled in the school in any of the grades 3-11.