HCSHB1903--VIRTUALSCHOOLPROGRAM
SPONSOR: Christofanelli
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof13to
6.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1903.
Thebillchangesallreferencestoschooldistrictsorcharter
schoolstoalocaleducationagency(LEA).
ThisbillrequiresanLEAtomakeanypaymentowedtoavirtual
programproviderinfullwithin60daysofreceivinganinvoice,or
theprovidermaynotifytheDepartmentofElementaryandSecondary
Education(DESE)anduponnoticeofsuchnonpayment,DESEshall
immediatelypaytheMissouriCourseAccessandVirtualSchool
Program(MCAVSP)thetotalamountinvoiced,andthesameamount
shallbewithheldfromthenextdisbursementoffundingtothenon-
payingLEA.ByNovember1stannually,DESEshallprovideawritten
reporttotheJointCommitteeonEducationdetailingeachoccasion
duringthepriorschoolyearthatsuchanissueoccurred.
Afull-timeVirtualSchoolProgramservingfulltimeequivalent
studentsshallparticipateintheStatewideAssessmentSystem,with
theresultstobeattributedtotheVirtualSchoolProgramasan
attendancecenter,ratherthantheLEA.
TheLEA,shalladoptapolicythatdelineatestheprocessbywhich
astudentnotenrolledinafull-timeVirtualSchoolProgrammay
enrollincoursesprovidedbytheMCAVSP.Thepolicymustallow
forcontinuousenrollmentthroughouttheschoolyear.
Currently,aschooldistrictorcharterschoolisrequiredtoallow
anyeligiblestudentwhoresidesinsuchdistricttoenrollin
MCAVSPcoursesif,priortoenrollinginanysuchcourse,astudent
hasreceivedapprovalfromhisorherschooldistrictorcharter
school.Thisbillspecifiesthatforastudentnotenrolledina
MCAVSP,thepolicymayincludetherightfortheLEAtodisapprove
therequestedenrollmentiftheLEAdeterminesenrollmentisnotin
thebesteducationalinterestsofthespecificstudent. IfaLEA
disapprovesarequestedenrollmentinacourseorcourses,theLEA
mustprovidethestudent'sparentorguardianthereasonin
writing. Astudent'sparentorguardianshallhavetherightto
appealthedenialtotheschoolboardorgoverningboardoftheLEA
atthenextboardmeetingwherethestudentorthestudent'sparent
orguardianshallbegiventheopportunitytopresenttheirreasons forseekingtheenrollment. Theparent'sorguardian'smaydelay
theagendaitemtoasubsequentboardmeetingiftheboarddoesnot
provideenoughnoticefortheparentorguardiantoprepare.
Forstudentsenrollingintoafull-timeprogram,theLEAoperating
theprogrammustshalladoptapolicyfortheenrollmentprocess
thatissubstantiallysimilartohowtheLEAenrollsanewresident
student. Ifthestudent'sresidentLEAbelievesastudent's
enrollmentintoafulltimevirtualschoolprogramisnotinthe
besteducationalinterestofthestudent,thereasonshallbe
providedinwritingtothestudent'sparentorguardianwhoshall
havefinaldecisionmakingauthority.
Currently,costsassociatedwithsuchvirtualcoursesaretobe
paidbytheschooldistrictorcharterschooldirectlyonapro
ratamonthlybasisbasedonastudent'scompletionofassignments
andassessments. Underthisbill,costsshallbepaidbytheLEA,
orbyDESEattheendofeachsemesterwithin60daysofreceiptof
aninvoicefromtheprovider. TheprovidershallinvoicetheLEA
forthedaysthestudentwasenrolledinthecourseorvirtual
schoolprogramonaproratabasis.Thisbillrequiresthat
additionalstateandfederalfundsthatastudentreceives,which
areexcludedfromprovisionsofcurrentlawlimitingthemaximum
amountofsuchpayments,shallbeadditionallyincludedinthe
payments.
Thisbillrepealsaprovisionprovidingthatschoolsshallnotbe
prohibitedfromnegotiatinglowercostsdirectlywithvirtual
schoolprovidersandspecifiedthatlocalfundingshallnotbeused
towardpaymentofastudentinthefull-timeprogram.
Thisbill,requiresDESEtoreporttheaggregateperformanceof
providerstothepublicinanannualreportasdescribedinthe
bill.
Thebillspecifiesthatvirtualschoolprovidersarerequired,to
monitorindividualstudentprogressandsuccess,reporttoDESEon
aregularbasis,andmayremoveastudentfromtheprogramifthe
providerbelievesittobeinthebesteducationalinterestofthe
student.
Thisbillspecifiesthatafull-timevirtualschoolshall,submita
notificationtoaparentorlegalguardianofastudentwhoisnot
consistentlyengagedininstructionalactivities,asdefinedinthe
bill.Suchschoolshallalsodevelopapolicysettingforththe
consequencesforastudent'sfailuretoattendschoolandcomplete
instructionalactivities,includingdisenrollmentfromthevirtual
school. Thebillspecifiesthat,suchnotificationonstudent'srightsto
enrollinavirtualschoolprogramshallbemadeannually,
separately,andinanimpartialmanner.AnyLEAthatfailsto
notifyparentsoftheirchild'srighttoparticipateintheprogram
shallbesubjecttocivilpenaltiesinanamountequalto$100for
eachdaysuchLEAisinviolationofthisrequirement,including
reasonableattorney'sfees.
ThebillrequiresDESEtoprovideawrittenexplanationofits
denialofvirtualprogramauthorizationwithin10days,ratherthan
30days.
InitsannualreportontheProgram,DESEshallincludestudent
outcomedata,includingcomparativedatafromstudents'prior
educationalsettings,fourandfiveyeargraduationrates,credit
statusuponenrollment,andprogresstowardgraduation.
ThisbillissimilartoSCSSB95(2021).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: SupporterssaythatMissouriistheonlystatewith
"gatekeeperlanguage"thatgivestheschooldistricttheauthority
topreventstudentsfromleavingapublicschoolandenrollingina
virtualschoolandthatthisbillwillcorrectthatbygiving
parentstheauthoritytodecidewhatisbestfortheirchild.
Severalschooldistrictshaveabusedthisauthorityandprevented
studentsfromgoingtoavirtuallearningenvironmenttothetheir
detriment. Additionally,virtualschoolprovidersstatethatthey
providesocioemotionalsupportsandthattheyareonparwiththe
traditionalbrickandmortarschools.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Christofanelli;
AmericanFederationForChidren;JennellHouts;CrystalDomagalski;
ElizabethKimball;JenniferSpencer;JoshuaReed;KellyWarren;
KristinEldridge;MaureenZamenski;ReneeSmola;StacyTurner;
TeresaThompson;BretHilbert;CambriaErnstrom;DonnaBone;Gina
Castro;JasonMoore;JeremyArthurKitchen;JessicaIdleman;Julie
Pfeifer;JulieTurner;KimReed;KimberlyMiller;KristenWolf-
Cook;LoriRichmeyer;MarciaDKennedy;MargaretRWelker;Maria
Ascrizzi;JennaRoberson;AliciaRobinson;KristinLevitt;Lindi
Williford;RitaLavanchy;AndrewWells,NoLeftTurnInEducation;
AshlynKinter;EileenSigmund,Pearson;LynsieHunt,Missouri
ConnectionsAcademy;SamoyMainda;JohnPotter;andSteveRichards.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatmanyofthevirtual
schoolsdonotofferfull"wraparound"servicessuchas counseling,inpersoninteractionwithpeers,andpost-secondary
supports. Themajorconcernisnotaboutvirtualschoolchoiceit
isaboutthe"for-profit"motivewhichplacesstudentlearning
successatrisktomeetabottomline.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereAmy;AnnieBernaix;CherylRanum;
CourtneyJilek;ErinCramer;HollyTinker;KathleenStroud;Lindsay
Ellison;MarieMcdowell;MarissaPolzin;MeganVonArb;RyanJ
Tinker;TomFerri;MissouriAssociationofSchoolAdministrators;
Dr.ChristyHarrison,KansasCityPublicSchools;MariaAscrizzi;
ChristineBrown;Dava-LeighBrush;LisaLLennon;MissouriState
TeachersAssociation;AngelaLBoyle;ArnieC.Dienoff;Jessica
James;LindsayEllison;MarlaStout;PatrickJames;RainahPray;
TracyNovak;MissouriNationalEducationAssociation;American
FederationofTeachers-Missouri;andAmberKempf.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythelanguageisvague
andmayleadtounforeseenunintendedconsequences.
TestifyingonthebillwasIanWrobel.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.