Members of boards of education in Kansas seeking legal advice related to their duties have a new, no-cost option thanks to School Boards for Academic Excellence, a national organization committed to restoring academic excellence.
The initiative aims to provide state and local school board members in Kansas with free, accessible legal advice on various issues related to their roles and responsibilities. Training, model policy, and many other services are provided to Kansas school board members by the Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC). Like The Sentinel, KSBRC is owned by Kansas Policy Institute.
The SBAE Legal Hotline will be provided through Kriegshauser Ney Law Group, founded by Ryan Kriegshauser and Josh Ney. School board members can access the service by visiting the SBAE Legal Hotline website and submitting questions.
According to the release, the legal hotline will “serve as a critical support system, allowing school board members to ask questions and receive guidance on legal matters that impact their governance and decision-making processes.”
“Legal challenges are one of the most common impediments to education reforms that put student outcomes first,” David Hoyt, executive director for School Boards for Academic Excellence, said. “School board members in Kansas can reach out to KSBRC for advice of any kind, and when they have a question that would benefit from legal analysis, KSBRC can refer them to SBAE for guidance from SBAE’s legal counsel, who have specific expertise in Kansas education law.”
Ward Cassidy, executive director of the Kansas School Board Resource Center, agreed.
“Providing a legal hotline will benefit school board members who need a better understanding of Kansas education law and the statutes in their districts as they pursue reforms that advance academic excellence and return the focus of their districts to student outcomes,” Cassidy said. “We are thrilled that SBAE offers this resource free of charge to school board members.”
The hotline will offer school board members legal guidance to navigate obstacles to needed reforms, whether dealing with policy implementation, compliance with state and federal laws, reconciling needed policy reforms with existing state and local statutes, or other legal concerns.
“The state’s education crisis won’t be resolved without school board members prioritizing students’ academic needs,” Cassidy said. “To do that, they need unfettered access to information and experts other than what the education system makes available. We are thrilled that SBAE is providing this legal hotline to school board members.”.
