Education (Career & Technical Education)

SB 406 directs Kansas' governor to approve short-term workforce training programs for federal Pell grant eligibility, as defined by federal law (Public Law 119-21). It requires the State Workforce Development Board to establish a clear process for programs to apply for approval, appeal denials, and coordinate with other state/federal workforce programs to avoid duplicate funding. The bill mandates the Board to align state and federal funding to support these programs while ensuring all actions comply with existing federal Pell grant rules. This affects workforce training programs seeking federal Pell grant access, not individual students or employers.

HB 2530 requires Kansas high schools to provide free career readiness assessments (ACT WorkKeys) to students in grades 9, 11, and 12, with participation optional. It mandates that Kansas colleges and universities accept certain WorkKeys credentials (platinum, gold, or silver) as transferable credit toward technical degrees, following American Council on Education guidelines. Schools must publish exam details online, and the state board must report annual assessment data to lawmakers. The bill directly affects Kansas public and nonpublic high school students, school districts, and postsecondary institutions.

SB 341 requires community colleges and technical colleges to follow specific financial rules when partnering with school districts to offer college courses in high schools. Starting July 1, 2026, these institutions must directly pay for instructional materials not provided by schools, pay school districts a set teaching fee (based on credit hours) that must go to the teacher as a salary supplement, and treat site coordinators as contractors with direct payment. The bill affects school districts, high school teachers, and community/technical colleges by standardizing payment structures for these dual-enrollment courses. It sets clear "standard amounts" for teaching and coordination services, adjusted annually for inflation, and applies to all new or renegotiated agreements after 2026. Existing agreements before that date remain unaffected.

SB 298 allows Kansas technical colleges and community colleges to formally partner with universities through approved agreements. This enables colleges to change their official names and transfers their governance and operational responsibilities to the partnering university, while shifting funding for campus operations from local taxes to the state. Students enrolled in career-focused programs (like associate degrees or certificates) would no longer need to meet standard university admission requirements, though transfer students would still need to comply. The bill also creates industry advisory boards to align college programs with workforce needs.