HB1804--SCHOOLBOARDDISTRICTS
SPONSOR: Veit
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
ElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof17to0.
Thisbillallowsforanyseven-directorschooldistrictoranurban
districttobedividedintosubdistricts,oracombinationof
subdistrictsandatlargedistricts,andprovidesfortheprocess
fortheelectionofsubdistrictboardmembers. Thebillallowsfor
thedivisionprocesstobesubmittedtoavoteofthedistrict
eitherbyamajorityvoteoftheschoolboardorbyaninitiative
petitionsignedby10%ofthenumberofvotescastinthemost
recentschoolboardelection.
Iftheballotmeasuretodividethedistrictispassed,thebill
providesdirectiononconductingpublichearingsandthefinal
developmentofplanstocarryoutthedivisionofthedistrict. The
requireddetailsoftheplanproposalareoutlinedinthebill.
Subdistrictsshallbeofcontiguousandcompactterritoryandas
nearlyequalinpopulationaspracticable. Thebillcontains
appeallanguageforanyresidentofthedistrictthatobjectsto
thedivisionofthedistrictbytheelectionauthority,and
preventsanydistrictthatvotestodividefrommakingchangesfor
fiveyearsafterthedivision.
Thebillprohibitsschooldistrictsfromrequiringsignaturesona
petitionasamethodoffilingforaschoolboardcandidate.
ThisbillissimilartoHB253(2021).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthislegislationwouldbeawayto
ensurethatschoolboardswereabetterreflectionofthe
populationthatmakesupadistrictandthatsubdistricting would
lowerthecoststhatrunningforschoolboardofanentiredistrict
entail.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Veit;BradBates,
MissouriSchoolBoards'Association;Dr.MaryByrneEd.D.;John
Potter;andRoyHolland.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthiswouldallowa
smallpopulationtodivideaschooldistrictandwipeanentire
slateofelectedboardofficials,potentiallycreatingasituation
wheredistrictsmightbegerrymandered.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereArnieC.AcDienoffandChristine Brown.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythatcurrentlythebill
doesnotallowforavoteofthedistricttoapprovethefinalplan
andthatin1998concernswereraisedfortheSt.Louisareathat
subdistrictswouldnotthinkaboutwhatwasbestfordistrictat
large,butratherfortheirowncommunity.
TestifyingonthebillwereMissouriNationalEducation
Association;Christine Brown;StevenCarroll.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.