School board members have a tremendous amount of responsibility, from levying your school taxes and school policy decisions to curriculum, local district issues and more. It's critical that parents and guardians, as well as students, have the ability to communicate easily with their questions, concerns and feedback. Especially during the current health crisis, enhanced communication is needed now more than ever as many students are learning remotely rather than full time in a classroom, and in-person interactions are limited.
This legislation would also open the door for residents who commute to work or are unable to attend meetings to easily communicate, ask questions and give feedback to board members. I strongly urge the governor to sign this legislation to support enhanced open dialogue between the public and school board members and build our education system, transparency and communication with elected officials in our education system. This is beneficial to both our schools and families.”
Passed by the House:
House Bill 1342 would create prekindergarten vision screenings, strengthens follow-up on failed screenings as well as modifies the current school district vision screening schedule if they choose.
Vision plays a vital role in a child’s ability to learn and their overall quality of life. With children today continuing to enter kindergarten at an older age, it is imperative that our schools conduct vision screenings prior to children starting kindergarten to help diagnose common vision impairments such as amblyopia, strabismus and high refractive errors as well as more serious conditions that can be missed but are usually present in a specialist exam at a young age.
Diagnosing vision concerns early gives students the best chance to succeed in their education and also prevents more serious long-term vision complications.
The House passed House Bill 1342 unanimously and it now moves to the Senate for consideration.