HB2287--VIRTUALSCHOOLPROGRAM
SPONSOR: Christofanelli
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheSpecialCommitteeon
EducationReformbyavoteof9to0.
Asspecifiedinbill,theaveragedailyattendanceofastudentwho
isenrolledfull-timeintheMissouriCourseAccessandVirtual
SchoolProgramshallbecalculatedasifsuchattendanceequaled
thehostdistrict'saverageattendancepercentagefortheprevious
year.Hostdistrictsthatenrolloneormorefull-timevirtual
schoolstudentsshallreceiveanamountofstateaidspecifiedin
thebillforsuchstudentsonamonthlybasis.
ThebillprovidesthatstudentswhoresideinMissourimayenroll
inthevirtualprogramoftheirchoice.Provisionsofcurrentlaw
regardingaschooldistrict'sapprovalofastudent'srequestto
enrollinavirtualprogramshallnotapplytofull-timevirtual
programenrollment.
Thebillrequireshostdistrictstoadoptstudentenrollment
policiesforfull-timevirtualstudentsandallowsvirtualschools
tomutuallyagreewithresidentandhostdistrictsontheservices
thattheresidentdistrictmightoffer,includingpossible
financialreimbursements forthoseservices. Forstudentswith
disabilities,theenrollmentpolicyshallensurethedevelopmentof
anindividualized educationprogramandrelatedservicesagreement,
asnecessary. Thebillalsospecifiesthatstudentprogress
reportsarenecessaryonlyforpart-timevirtualschoolprogram
enrollees. Thebillrequiresastudent'sparentorguardian,if
thestudentisnotconsideredhomeless,toapplyforenrollment
directlywiththefull-timevirtualprogram.
Finally,thebillspecifiesthatahostdistrictmaycontractwith
aprovidertoperformanyrequiredservicesinvolvedwith
deliveringafull-timevirtualeducation.
ThisbillissimilartoSB921(2024)andHB827(2023).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisismerelyclarification
languagethathelpsprovidenecessarylanguagetofixthe2022
legislation. Theissuesoffundingandwhereastudentshouldgo
toenrollareaddressedwiththesechangesandthiswillhavea
positiveimpact.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative
Christofanelli; MissouriNEA;Pearson/Connections Academy;Stride,
Inc.;ParentSchoolOptionsCoalition;andAmericanFederationFor
Children,ACCEL.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee. Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.