Cybersecurity
What it does: Oregon’s local and regional governments, education service districts, school districts, and libraries have recently completed a variety of assessments that identify critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities and information technology modernization needs. HB 2049 would establish an Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to supplement the cybersecurity-related activities of the state chief information officer. This bill is the successor to HB 4155 (2022), which was not able to pass in last year’s short session.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled an informational hearing Wednesday, Feb. 15.
CTE funding
What it does: HB 2175 would provide a one-time appropriation of an additional $250,000 to the Oregon Department of Education for qualifying school districts with a remote small high school for use in their existing career and technical education programs.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Student Success Act changes
What it does: HB 2275 would require grantees for Student Investment Account funds to consider recommendations from student success plan advisory groups, set a minimum grant funding to Youth Corrections Education Program and Juvenile Detention Education Program sites that is no less than the minimum amount awarded to school districts, change the American Indian/Alaska Native statewide education plan to a funds distribution model rather than a grant-based model, repeal the legislative declaration relating to the Expanded Options Program and consolidate program statutes, allow ODE in collaboration with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to determine the amounts distributed from the Accelerated College Credit Account, and change the legislative report date requirement relating to grants to public charter schools from the Statewide Education Initiatives Account.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a work session Wednesday, Feb. 15.
School panic alarms
What it does: HB 3101 would require any educational institution having an average daily attendance of 50 or more students to have at least one panic alarm in each school building.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Monday, Feb. 13.
Charter school rules
What it does: In 1999, the Legislature established laws regulating public charter schools. In 2001, the legislature amended those laws to allow district school boards to operate schools in other districts with the written permission of the other school board. In 2015, those laws were amended to allow public charter schools to open schools in districts other than their sponsoring district by notifying the receiving district. SB 767 would require charter schools that operate facilities outside their sponsoring districts to gain permission from districts in which they operate. The bill would allow virtual charter schools to operate only tutoring or testing facilities outside their sponsoring districts.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a work session Thursday, Feb. 16. Amendments for the bill are anticipated at that hearing.
