Despite the very cold morning and the lingering snow from
last night, the General Assembly was running at full speed with the House
Committee on Education Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education
meeting at 8:30 this morning.
The House version of the Diabetes bill, Del. Cole’s HB 134,
has been amended to remove its onerous impact on instructional personnel. The bill, as reported today, allows diabetic
students to carry a “appropriate short-term supply of carbohydrates and
equipment for immediate treatment of high and low blood glucose levels, and to
self-check blood glucose levels on a school bus, on school property, and at
school sponsored activities.”
This bill went from being 9 pages down to 1 page. We
thank Delegate Cole for working with the education community on this
legislation.Delegate Rob Bell’s HB 63, which allows home-schooled students to participate in interscholastic programs was reported from the subcommittee on a 6-2 vote, with only Delegates Hester and Brink voting against the bill.
Delegate Watt’s HB 1156, which would reduce average
kindergarten class size from 24 to 21, require an aide at 21, and a cap at 26,
and reduce the grade 1-3 average from 24 to 21 with a cap at 26, was reported
and re-referred to House Appropriations.
We thank Delegate Watts for her
continued focus on the class size issue.
