SSHB2287--ELEMENTARYANDSECONDARYEDUCATION
Thisbillrelatestoelementaryandsecondaryeducation.
MISSOURIEMPOWERMENTSCHOLARSHIPACCOUNTSPROGRAM(Section135.713)
ThebillmakeschangestoSection135.713,RSMo,bychangingwords
andphrasesincluding"under"to"pursuantto","subsequentto"to
"after"and"suchtaxpayer's"to"hisorher".
MISSOURICOURSEACCESSANDVIRTUALSCHOOLPROGRAM(Section161.670)
Asspecifiedinbill,theaveragedailyattendanceofastudentwho
isenrolledfull-timeintheMissouriCourseAccessandVirtual
SchoolProgramshallbedefinedasthequotientorthesumofthe
quotientsobtainedbydividingthetotalnumberofhoursattended
inatermbytheactualnumberofhoursthatthevirtualprogram
wasinsession. Suchattendanceshallbecalculatedbythevirtual
providerandprovidedtothehostschooldistrictforsubmissionto
theDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation(DESE).
Hostdistrictsthatenrolloneormorefull-timevirtualschool
studentsshallreceiveanamountofstateaidspecifiedinthebill
forsuchstudentsonamonthlybasis.
ThebillprovidesthatstudentswhoresideinMissourimayenroll
inthevirtualprogramoftheirchoice.Provisionsofcurrentlaw
regardingaschooldistrict'sapprovalofastudent'srequestto
enrollinavirtualprogramshallnotapplytofull-timevirtual
programenrollment.
Thisbillrequireshostdistrictstoadoptstudentenrollment
policiesforfull-timevirtualstudentsandallowsvirtualschools
tomutuallyagreewithresidentandhostdistrictsontheservices
thattheresidentdistrictmightoffer,includingpossible
financialreimbursements forthoseservices.
Forstudentswithdisabilities,theenrollmentpolicyshallensure
thedevelopmentofanindividualized educationprogramandrelated
servicesagreement,asnecessary. Thebillalsospecifiesthat
studentprogressreportsarenecessaryforpart-timeandfull-time
virtualschoolprogramenrollees. Thisbillrequiresastudent's
parentorguardian,ifthestudentisnotconsideredhomeless,to
applyforenrollmentdirectlywiththefull-timevirtualprogram.
Finally,thebillspecifiesthatahostdistrictmaycontractwith
aprovidertoperformanyrequiredservicesinvolvedwith
deliveringafull-timevirtualeducation. ThisbillissimilartoSB921(2024).
HOMESCHOOLANDFAMILYPACEDEDUCATION(FPE)SCHOOLS(Sections
167.012and167.013)
ThisbillcreatesSection167.012withtheterm"homeschool"
definedforspecifiedsectionsprovidedinthebill.ThisSection
prohibitshomeschoolstudentsfromparticipationintheMissouri
EmpowermentScholarshipProgramunderSections166.700to166.720
andtheStudentOpportunitySavingsAccountProgramcreatedunder
Section163.431. Therequirementsforhomesschoolchildrenremain
thesameascurrentstatutoryrequirementsandincludeproofof
1000hoursofregularinstruction.
Thebilldefinesa"family-pacededucationschool"forspecified
sectionsasprovidedinthebill.Thissectionspecifiesthat
studentsenrolledinafamily-pacededucationschoolmay
participateinboththeMissouriEmpowermentScholarshipProgram
andtheStudentOpportunitySavingsAccountProgram. The
requirementsforfamily-pacededucationschoolchildrenarethe
sameasforhomeschoolstudentswithproofof1000hoursof
regularinstructionandadailylogrequirement.
TheseprovisionsaresimilartoHB2937(2024).
TEACHERCERTIFICATION(Section168.021)
ThisbillrequiresDESEtodevelopan18credithour,online
teacherpreparationprogramrelatedtosubjectsappropriatefor
teachersindifferentcontentareasdeterminedbytheDepartment.
TheDepartmentmaycontractwithanentityskilledindeveloping
onlineteacherpreparationprogramsoracharitableorganization
registeredinMissouritodevelopandmaintaintheonlineteacher
preparationprogram. Theentityorcharitableorganizationmustbe
certifiedtodevelopandmaintaintheprogrambytheDepartment.
Anindividualwithabachelor'sdegreemaycompletetheonline
trainingprogramandreceiveacertificateoflicensetoteach.
However,thecertificatewillnotbeacceptedbyMissouripublic
schools,andnon-publicschoolsarenotrequiredtoacceptthe
certificate.
ThisprovisionissimilartoSB1394(2024).
WEAPONSOFFENSESINSCHOOLS(Section571.010)
Thebilladdsadefinitionof"school"toprovisionsoflaw
relatingtoweaponsoffenses. Thedefinitionspecifiesthatfor
theseprovisionsoflaw,"school"shallmeanacharterschool,a privateschool,orapublicschool,assuchtermsaredefinedin
currentlaw.
FOURDAYSCHOOLWEEK(SECTION1)
Thebillexemptsspecifiedschooldistrictsfromanystatelawthat
wouldrequirethedistricttoconductanelectionofthevotersin
ordertoadoptafour-dayschoolweek.Theprovisionsofthis
sectionapplytoClintonCo.R-IIIandLathropR-II.