When Kansas passed its “open enrollment” school legislation, an unintended consequence quickly emerged: some school attorneys interpreted the law to mean public schools could no longer accept international exchange students.
Refusing to let exchange programs slip away, dedicated AFS-USA volunteers (Robbin Cole, Nancy Bridges, and Tony Wichmann from Manhattan) stepped up to take action. In their first year of advocacy, the volunteers collaborated with retired Kansas Senator Tom Hawk to secure a temporary, one-year proviso. Determined to create a lasting solution, the team spent the following year working alongside legislators to draft permanent language ensuring exchange students would not be excluded under open enrollment policies.
Their efforts culminated in testimony presented to both the Senate Committee on Education in February and later to the Kansas House Education Committee. AFS-USA Volunteers Robbin Cole and Nancy Bridges, together with Senator Brad Starnes and retired Senator Tom Hawk, made the case for protecting international exchange students from non-residence lottery systems when schools reach capacity.
While questioning from State Representatives was initially pointed and challenging, the tone shifted dramatically during the hearings. One by one, representatives, and even the Committee Chair, began sharing personal stories about the positive impact exchange students had made on their own families and communities.
Thanks to the unwavering persistence of these volunteers and legislative allies, their hard work came to fruition. The Senate unanimously passed the protections 38-0, incorporating them into Senate Bill 382, which officially allows international exchange students to attend public school in the district where their host family lives.
View an excerpt from the Salina Journal with the sentence highlighted that shows the bill passed.
Congratulations to these inspiring individuals for their dedication to keeping global cultural exchange alive and thriving in Kansas! Thank you to AFS-USA volunteer Mary Porterfield for sharing this incredible story with us.