Parents receive Email from District with concerning Legislative Update

Blue Valley-area legislators 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗧𝗝 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗳𝘁, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻, 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 voted AGAINST parental rights when they voted to “prohibit students from using or accessing personal electronic communication devices during the school day, and require that all personal electronic communication devices be turned off and securely stored away from the student's person in an inaccessible location during the school day.”

Read the email below that Blue Valley parents got today, sharing some of the district’s concerns about this legislation - an unfunded mandate at a time when the district is already looking at cutting $10 million from next year’s budget. Then use the link in the district’s email to contact Governor Laura Kelly (as the district recommends) if you have an opinion to express.

Voting NO, against the cell phone bill:

Sen. Cindy Holscher and Reps Linda Featherston, Mari-Lynn Poskin, Heather Meyer, Dan Osman, and Nikki McDonald.

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From: Blue Valley <bvinfo@bluevalleyk12.org>

Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM

Subject: Important legislative update: Cell phone bill & special education funding

Blue Valley families,

As the Kansas legislative session enters its final weeks, several education-related bills are moving quickly and could affect school districts. Updates on these and other proposals were shared during Monday’s Board of Education meeting. 

Cell phone legislation – Governor's action expected soon

Today, the Kansas House passed a bill that would require school districts across the state to prohibit student access to personal electronic devices, including cell phones, throughout the entire school day. The bill has now been sent to Governor Kelly, who has 10 days to sign or veto it.

If the bill becomes law, it would require districts to:

• Place student cell phones and personal electronic devices, including headphones, smart watches ( e.g., Gizmo and Fire-Boltt devices), in an inaccessible location for the entire school day, meaning students would not have access to them at any point during the school day

• Prohibit access to devices from bell to bell, including during passing periods, lunch and other non-instructional times

• Implement systems to securely store student devices throughout the school day, which will create additional operational and financial costs

Blue Valley already has a personal electronic devices policy in place requiring devices to be silenced and stowed during instructional time so students can focus on learning. This local policy allows schools to support instruction and learning while still considering family preferences and student safety.

If the bill becomes law, the district would need to implement additional processes to collect and securely store devices during the school day, which could require additional staffing, space and operational planning.  

Because the Governor’s decision window is short, families who wish to share their perspectives can contact the Governor’s Office.

Blue Valley fully supports banning cell phones during instructional time, which is why we already have a policy in place. Our current approach allows schools to support focused learning while still allowing families to determine their child’s access to a device during the school day. At a time when the school district is reducing the budget due to the chronic underfunding of special education, this new requirement will cost the district millions of dollars to provide staffing and a location to store devices, along with the lost instructional time to collect and secure student devices at the beginning and end of the school day, including facilitating parent/student contact during the school day to coordinate transportation, last minute changes, emergencies, etc. Please reach out to the Governor and share your viewpoint.

Special education funding

Another important issue in this session is special education funding. Kansas law requires the state to fund 92% of excess special education costs, but Blue Valley currently receives about 52%. As a result, our district transfers approximately $18 million each year from our general operating budget to cover this gap.

Urging the legislature to meet its statutory requirement of funding special education at 92% would help address budget pressures and allow those dollars to remain in classrooms and support the programming our community expects.

For the 2026–27 school year, Blue Valley is projecting a budget deficit of approximately $10 million, or 3.5% of our operating budget, driven primarily by a continued gap in special education reimbursement from the state and declining enrollment. In the coming weeks, we will share more information with families about the district’s budget outlook and planning for the year ahead. 

Staying informed

The legislative session is nearing its conclusion, and decisions made in the coming weeks could have lasting impacts on Blue Valley and districts across Kansas. Families who wish to learn more or share their perspectives with legislators or the Governor’s office are encouraged to engage in ways that align with what matters most to them. Our goal is simply to keep families informed about legislation that may affect our schools.

Information and resources for those who wish to learn more or contact their legislators are available on the district’s Legislative Priorities webpage.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting Blue Valley students.

Blue Valley Schools