Harmful Open Enrollment Bill Passes House
Legislation that would create a transfer procedure for students to attend nonresident districts, HB253 (Pollitt), passed the Missouri House this week by a vote of 85-69. MSTA continues to oppose this legislation based on MSTA Adopted Resolutions. The legislation will now go to the Senate for consideration.
There were two changes made to the bill when it was brought up for debate by the House. The first change limited the number of students that may open enroll from a resident district to a nonresident district in each school year to a maximum of 3% of the previous school year’s enrollment for the district. The second amendment to the bill eliminated language that would have allowed districts to voluntarily adopt a diversity plan, and to opt out of open enrollment to avoid creating a school district that is near, or at, 100% minority enrollment. This would encourage continued desegregation and expose students to racially and culturally diverse environments in an urban area.
Open enrollment would negatively impact teachers across the state, leading to school consolidation and the closing of schools, limiting the ability of students to receive an education in their local community.
MSTA opposes legislative actions involving the concept of inter-district choice and open enrollment.
HB253 Vote for Third Reading 3/8/2023
No (69)
Adams
Aldridge
Anderson
Appelbaum
Atchison
Aune
Banderman
Bangert
Baringer
Barnes
Bland Manlove
Bonacker
Bromley
Brown, D.
Brown, C.
Brown, P.
Brown, R.
Burger
Burton
Busick
Butz
Clemens
Collins
Cook
Crossley
Diehl
Doll
Ealy
Farnan
Fogle
Fountain Henderson
Gallick
Gray
Haley
Hein
Ingle
Johnson, J.
Johnson, M.
Justus
Kelley, A.
Lavender
Lewis, P.
Lonsdale
Mann
Marquart
McGaugh
Merideth
Mosley
Nickson-Clark
Nurrenbern
Parker
Phifer
Plank
Proudie
Quade
Smith, D.
Steinhoff
Strickler
Taylor, D.
Terry
Thompson
Unsicker
Van Schoiack
Veit
Voss
Walsh Moore
Weber
Windham
Woods
Yes (85)
Allen
Amato
Baker
Billington
Black
Boggs
Boyd
Buchheit-Courtway
Byrnes
Casteel
Chappell
Christ
Christofanelli
Coleman
Cupps
Davidson
Davis
Deaton
Dinkins
Evans
Falkner
Francis
Gragg
Gregory
Griffith
Haden
Haffner
Hardwick
Hausman
Henderson
Hicks
Hinman
Houx
Hovis
Hudson
Hurlbert
Jones
Kalberloh
Keathley
Kelly, H.
Knight
Lewis, E.
Lovasco
Mackey
Matthiesen
Mayhew
McGirl
McMullen
Murphy
Myers
O’Donnell
Oehlerking
Owen
Patterson
Perkins
Peters
Polcher
Pollitt
Pouche
Reedy
Reuter
Richey
Riggs
Riley
Sander
Sassmann
Schnelting
Schulte
Schwadron
Seitz
Sharpe, G.
Shields
Smith, C.
Smith, T.
Sparks
Stacy
Stephens
Stinnett
Taylor, T.
Thomas
Titus
Toalson Reisch
West
Wilson
Wright
Present (1)
Sharp, M.
Absent (8)
Bosley
Burnett
Copeland
Morse
Roberts
Sauls
Waller
Young
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House Passes Other Education Bills Prior to Spring Break
The House brought up and passed a few other bills relating to education this week. They will be sent to the Senate next.
HB827 (Christofanelli) provides clean-up language to further instruct the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the administration of virtual education. The bill requires host school districts to adopt enrollment policies and allows virtual schools to mutually agree with a resident school district on services that the district might offer, including possible financial reimbursement. The bill also clarifies that student progress reports are only necessary for part-time virtual school program enrollees.
HB70 (Dinkins) under current law, school districts may designate teachers or administrators to be school protection officers. The bill adds other school personnel to the list of employees a school district may decide to designate as a school protection officer and allows designated school personnel the authority to carry a weapon on school grounds if they have obtained a concealed carry endorsement or permit. An amendment was added to the bill that would eliminate the need for those covered under the Rap Back program to be fingerprinted every six years.
House Education Committee Approves Omnibus Bill
We have reached the point of the legislative session where there are more ideas that legislators would like to advance than there is time to move individual bills. The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee created their first omnibus bill relating to teacher recruitment and retention efforts.
HB497 (E. Lewis) modifies the existing "Urban Flight and Rural Needs Scholarship Program" by changing the name to the "Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program.” The existing program is modified, increasing the maximum number of two-year scholarships from 100 in the 2024 academic year to 300 scholarships by the 2029-30 school term. Scholarships for 100% of eligible tuition and fees are to be awarded to eligible students who agree to teach in hard to staff schools or hard to staff subject areas for two years for every year the scholarship is received. The repayment rate of the scholarships for a failure to fulfill is 1% over the prevailing prime rate in effect on January 1st with annual adjustments.
Other bills that were added include:
HB190 (E. Lewis) would allow school districts to identify hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff subject areas, designating a higher placement on the salary schedule when hiring such teachers.
HB496 (E. Lewis) would enact several school retirement provisions, including a 2.55% benefit factor for 32 or more years of PSRS service, extending the term of teacher critical shortage work after retirement to a maximum of four years, and modifying the earnings limit for a PSRS retiree that goes back to work in a PEERS position.
HB116 (Shields) would require schools to have bleeding control kits available in high-traffic areas of schools.
HB70 (Dinkins) would allow school staff other than teachers and administrators to serve as school protection officers.
HB809 (O'Donnell) would require DESE to convene a work group to develop academic performance standards for the half credit course in personal finance required for high school graduation.
HB483 (Baker) would create an extended learning policy, allowing students to receive credit for participation in out-of-classroom learning experiences as approved by the State Board of Education, a school board or a charter school.
HB669 (Copeland) would eliminate the requirement that schools using the Rap Back program for notifications of law violations must require all employees to undergo an additional fingerprint background check every six years.
Retirement Bill Approved by Committee
The House Pensions Committee gave approval to a bill that would increase benefits for retirees and strengthen the Public School and Education System Retirement System.
HB496 (E. Lewis) consists of three different provisions, including the reinstatement of the 2.55 factor for working 32 or more years of service.
The second section of the bill increases the current annual earnings limit for any retired member of PSRS employed in a position covered under PEERS without stopping their retirement benefit.
Additionally, current law provides that a retired teacher or a retired noncertificated employee who is receiving a retirement benefit from PSRS is allowed to work full-time under critical shortage for up to two years for a PSRS-covered school district if there is a shortage of certified teachers or noncertificated employees. This bill allows such employees to work full-time for up to four years in such districts. The bill is similar to SB75 (Black), which has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House.
Bill Summaries
Senate
Education and Workforce Development
SB230 (Carter) specifies that a school district may not be a member of, or remit any funds to, any statewide activities association that prohibits a home school student from having the ability to try out or audition for team or club membership in any event or activity offered by the school district. A school district shall also not prohibit a student from trying out or auditioning for team or club membership in any event or activity.
SB234 (B. Brown) requires elections for school board members to be held at the November general election and makes all such terms four years.
SB411 (B. Brown) is substantially similar to SB230 (Carter).
SB226 (Schroer) would authorize a taxpayer to claim a tax credit in an amount equal to 100% of tuition costs paid by the taxpayer for the attendance of one or more of the taxpayer's children to attend private school or a public school located outside of the school district in which the taxpayer resides.
Executive Session
SB255 (Brattin) would create an education savings account voucher program. Voted do pass with substitute.
SB304 (Eigel) would expand charter schools to counties with a charter form of government and cities with a population greater than 30,000. Voted do pass.
SB360 (Koenig) would expand the current Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts voucher program. Voted do pass with substitute.
House
Elementary and Secondary Education
HB627 (Christofanelli) establishes the "The Parents' Bill of Rights." Such rights include, but are not limited to, the following: the parents’ right to participate in and direct the education of their child, the right to access and view curricula, academic performance, and financial information; the right to choose educational options specifically authorized by statute for such student; and the right to opt a child out of any content that is disagreeable to the parent.
HB482 (Baker) adds compensation and benefits for public employees, including employees of public institutions of higher education and public school districts and charter schools to the Missouri Accountability portal database. The bill creates the "Parents' Bill of Rights Act of 2023" and provides a list of rights that parents may require school districts that receive federal or state money to follow.
HB232 (Bangert) requires public schools to provide instruction in cursive writing by the end of the fifth grade, including a proficiency test of competency in reading and writing cursive.
There will be no MSTA Action next week due to the legislative spring break. MSTA Action will return on March 24.