OR HB3038

Restructures STEM and career/technical education funding by replacing the Connecting Education to Careers Account with general departmental funds, allocating 40% for STEM activities and 60% for career/technical education leading to high-wage, high-demand jobs

Modifies STEM Investment Grant Program eligibility to prioritize applications from regional partner networks that coordinate STEM education with career/technical education and workforce development boards

Creates separate funding pathway for public charter schools that are approved recovery schools, exempting them from standard State School Fund distribution through their host school district

Expands Oregon School for the Deaf eligibility to include students who are hard of hearing or deaf-blind, and adds Section 504 education plans as a pathway for placement alongside individualized education programs (IEPs)

Updates school emergency drill requirements by defining standardized safety threat procedures (evacuate, hold, lockdown, secure, shelter in place) and requiring at least one drill per safety threat type annually, effective January 1, 2026