During Oregon’s 2023 Legislative Session, lawmakers made several key changes and investments that will make a positive impact for Oregon students, teachers, school faculty, and parents in the upcoming school year and beyond. These include record investments in school funding and early literacy programs, initiatives to support educators and solve the substitute teacher shortage, upgrades for healthier school ventilation systems, new school safety measures, protections for students with disabilities, and more.

“By investing in our schools and students, we’re investing in Oregon’s future,” said Representative Courtney Neron (D - Wilsonville, Sherwood, King City, Tigard/Bull Mountain & Parrett Mountain), chair of the House Education Committee. “From stable school funding and support for our educator workforces to school safety, the actions we took this session are going to set our students up for success for years to come.”

K-12 School Funding - HB 5015 makes a historic $10.2 billion investment in the K-12 State School Fund for the 2023-2025 biennium, nearly $1 billion higher than the current service level. When paired with local property tax revenues, total resources for K-12 schools for this biennium reach an unprecedented $15.3 billion. The State School Fund is the primary funding source for the general operations of school districts and education service districts, paying for a range of needs, including teacher salaries, textbooks, school supplies, desks, and building maintenance. These 197 districts serve more than 552,000 Oregon students in K-12 schools.

Cleaner Air, Heating and Cooling in School Buildings - HB 3031 helps Oregon schools receive federal funds to upgrade their HVAC systems, assess ventilation systems, place carbon dioxide monitors in each classroom, and submit a report on ventilation and carbon dioxide levels to a mechanical engineer for review. Districts will then implement any improvements recommended by the engineer.

Free or Reduced Cost School Meals for Low-Income Students - HB 5014 will help cover school meal costs for more students starting this fall, responding to food insecurity across the state and filling in the gap created after federal COVID school funds expired. Students who are on Medicaid will qualify for free or reduced cost meals. Oregon is one of 12 pilot states using Medicaid funds to cover meal costs.

Early Literacy Success Initiative - HB 3198 invests in culturally-responsive and research-aligned reading instruction in Oregon classrooms. The Initiative invests $144.3 million across three new grant programs: the Early Literacy Success School Grant, the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan, and the Early Literacy Success Community Grant. In-school funding for the initiative goes toward literacy coaching and professional development for educators, tutoring, curriculum implementation and adoption and summer learning programming. Being able to read is what makes all other learning possible. Investing in early literacy has been shown to have long-term positive impacts on state graduation rates, preventing dropouts and helping students succeed.

Strengthening Oregon’s Educator Workforce - SB 283 addresses Oregon’s K-12 educator workforce shortage. A key part of improving student success is making sure educators have good salaries, healthy working conditions, and the resources they need to help Oregon’s children learn. The bill establishes apprenticeship and mentorship grants, boost pay for teachers and classified staff who work in special education, pay for substitute teacher training, and directs ODE to study and plan for statewide minimum salaries for education workforces.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Alyssa’s Law, HB 5014, in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff’s loss of life to gun violence at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2017, is $2.5 million included in the K-12 State School Fund. Funds schools to install mobile-based silent panic alarm systems that when activated, will send an immediate alert to law enforcement and Emergency Medical Services when there is a safety threat at a school building. States have also used this system in instances where a student or faculty was experiencing an allergic reaction, seizure, or heart issues.

School Emergency Notifications Act - HB 3584 directs school districts to electronically notify parents and guardians within 24 hours of students and school district employees experiencing a school emergency and keep them informed throughout the incident. The bill comes in response to the Lane Middle School shut down earlier this year that left many parents in the dark without concrete information or updates.

Abbreviated School Days - SB 819 requires ODE to enforce the current law by prohibiting school districts from offering students with disabilities fewer hours than non-disabled peers unless a parent provides written consent. Oregon has over 1,000 students with disabilities in shortened school day placements, denying them access to full-time school. Schools are struggling to find and afford staff needed to implement this bill, while ODE hires investigators.

ODE is currently recruiting investigators to enforce this new law and offers more than 50 hours of training for districts, schools, and families. Parents of students currently on a shortened school day schedule who want their children to attend full time should notify their school districts as soon as possible.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-08-31 10:11:34

Last Update: 2023-09-16 16:25:45