OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2011

Contact: Nick Smith 503-986-1351

HOUSE APPROVES MANDATE RELIEF MEASURES

FOR OREGON SCHOOLS

SALEM—House Republicans today unanimously supported education reforms that, combined, will relieve Oregon school districts of 30 unfunded state mandates.  The reform bills passed the House of Representatives and will now move to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

“This is part of an ongoing effort to identify unfunded and unnecessary mandates that bury our school districts in bureaucracy and take money away from the classroom,” said Rep. Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville), Co-Chair of the House Education Committee.  “These measures will allow us to better focus our resources on the programs and services that help our students learn and succeed.”

Senate Bill 800 eliminates 28 different mandates from state law, including outdated provisions relating to evaluations, reports, reporting requirements, filings, preparation and distribution of education laws, policies, curriculum requirements, assessments, and certifications.

Senate Bill 560 reduces costs and unnecessary paperwork for school districts and the Department of Education (DOE) while still holding districts accountable through the continuous improvement planning process. Senate Bill 26 eliminates an unnecessary option for private elementary or secondary schools to be registered with DOE.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about the Legislature’s failure to pass major education reforms this session,” Rep. Wingard said.  “With passage of these bills today, it is very likely that we have repealed more mandates on Oregon schools in a single day than any legislative assembly in our history.”

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