Data Reporting Requirements for Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Schools

The bill requires the department of education (department), on or before June 30, 2026, to conduct an audit on data reporting requirements for schools of school districts, school districts, district charter schools, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute (local education providers). The audit must include:

• Data that local education providers are required to report to comply with state and federal laws;
• The methods by which data is reported to the department;
• Whether the current data requirements meet the information needs of the state;
• How much time local education providers spend reporting to the department;
• Whether there are more efficient ways to report data to the department, including, but not limited to, consolidating data report submissions, aligning data report submission timelines to limit the number of reports submitted, and using current data systems that already exist to collect relevant information;
• An evaluation of the reporting protocols for local education providers to comply with training requirements; and
• An evaluation of current training requirements regarding reporting data.

On or before December 1, 2026, the department shall submit the results of the data audit recommendations on how to relieve the administrative data collection and reporting burdens on local education providers, and legislative changes that may be required to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or their successor committees.

For school districts and the state charter school institute (institute) that are on a performance or improvement plan, the bill allows a local school board or the institute to submit the performance or improvement plan using a format or template that best meets the school district's or institute's needs, so long as the included plan addresses statutory requirements.

For schools of a school district or district charter schools (district public schools) or institute charter schools that are on a school performance or improvement plan, the bill allows a local school board, on behalf of a district public school, or the institute, on behalf of an institute charter school, to submit the school performance or improvement plan using a format or template that best meets the district public school's or institute charter school's needs, so long as the included plan addresses statutory requirements.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)