HB 354 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ENROLLMENT PRIORITY OF MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS.

K.Chukwuocha & Rep.

WilliamsDorsey Walker & Rep.Sen.

ChukwuochaGay HOUSEReps. OF REPRESENTATIVES 152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE AMENDMENT NO.

1Baumbach, TOK. HOUSE BILL NO.

354Johnson, AMENDHilovsky, HouseHarris; Bill No.

354Sens. by deleting lines 19 through 28 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“InMantzavinos, additionWilson, toPettyjohn theHOUSE aboveOF aREPRESENTATIVES receiving152nd districtGENERAL mayASSEMBLY nextHOUSE giveBILL priorityNO. to students who have designated the program or school as a first, second, or third choice;

354 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ENROLLMENT PRIORITY OF MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1.

Amend § 405, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 405.

Criteria for approval or disapproval [For application of this section, see 83 Del.

Laws, c.

316, § 3].

(b) Prior to the applicable application deadline established in § 403(a) of this title, each receiving district shall adopt and make available a policy establishing criteria for acceptance or rejection of applications and setting priorities for acceptances consistent with this section.

Such criteria shall be reasonably related to the nature of the program or school for which the application is submitted and may not differ from the criteria used for acceptance or rejection of applications submitted by parents of children residing in the attendance zone of the school, if applicable, except that a district shall give priority to the following categories of students in the order listed:

(1) First, to returning students who continue to meet the requirements for the program or school, including students graduating from 1 school to another within a single program;

(2) Second, to students who meet the requirements for the program or school and who seek to attend based upon the residence of the student’s parent within the designated feeder pattern, if any, for the school;

and (3) Third, to the siblings of students currently enrolled in the school or in a program in accordance with paragraph (b)(2) of this section who will be returning to the school for the following academic year, provided that any siblings seeking priority under this paragraph meet the requirements for the program or school.

Priority must be given to siblings of students who live in the reorganized school district where the school is located, and may be given to siblings of students who do not live in the reorganized school district where the school is located.

(4) Fourth, to military-connected students who are the dependents of an active service member of any of the following:

a.

The United States military.

b.

The Delaware National Guard.

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AMM :

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A reserve component of the United States military.

In addition to the above, a receiving district may next give priority to students who have designated the program or school as a first, second, or third choice;

to military-connected students who are the dependents of an active service member of the United States military, the Delaware National Guard, or a reserve component of the United States military;

The Department may verify the randomness of the lottery process.”.process.

SYNOPSISSection This2. amendment changes the public school priority requirement so that it is permissive and prescriptive, mirroring the charter school requirement.

Amend § 506, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 506.

Restrictions [For application of this section, see 83 Del.

Laws, c.

316, § 3].