FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 323
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CARTER.
0071S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 161, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to grants for certain
educational programs offered by public school districts.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 161, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 161.390, to read as 2
follows:3
161.390. 1. For purposes of this section, the term 1
"classical education program" means an educational program 2
that has a goal of educa ting students through skill 3
development and the cultivation of knowledge. Skills are 4
developed through the liberal arts, and knowledge is 5
cultivated through the sciences. The liberal arts and the 6
sciences represent two distinct but inseparable domain s of 7
classical education. Liberal arts encompass two practiced 8
sets of skills: language skills, including grammar, logic, 9
and rhetoric; and mathematical skills, including arithmetic, 10
geometry, music, and astronomy. Historically, a classical 11
education focused on three bodies of knowledge: the human 12
sciences, including literature, history, and philosophy; the 13
natural sciences, including biology, chemistry, and physics; 14
and the theological sciences, including dogma, ethics, and 15
apologetics. 16
2. Subject to appropriation, the department of 17
elementary and secondary education shall establish the 18 SB 323 2
"Classical Education Grant Program" pursuant to the 19
provisions of this section. 20
3. (1) There is hereby created in the state treasury 21
the "Classical Education Grant Program Fund". The fund 22
shall consist of any appropriations to such fund and any 23
gifts, bequests, or donations to such fund. The state 24
treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. The department of 25
elementary and secondary education shall administer the 26
fund. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the 27
state treasurer may approve disbursements. The fund shall 28
be a dedicated fund and, upon appropriation, moneys in the 29
fund shall be used solely by the department of elementa ry 30
and secondary education for the purpose of providing grants 31
to eligible school districts to provide classical education 32
programs as specified in this section. 33
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080 34
to the contrary, any moneys rem aining in the fund at the end 35
of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the 36
general revenue fund. 37
(3) The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the 38
fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any 39
interest and moneys earned on s uch investments shall be 40
credited to the fund. 41
4. Subject to appropriation, the department of 42
elementary and secondary education shall award grants from 43
the classical education grant program fund to eligible 44
school districts for the purpose of pr oviding classical 45
education programs. A school district wishing to receive 46
such a grant shall submit an application to the department 47
of elementary and secondary education addressing: 48
(1) A core mission that classical education courses 49
will help achieve; 50 SB 323 3
(2) A plan that outlines classical education courses 51
and key metrics that will show success; 52
(3) Resources available to the school district and in 53
the community that will assist in creating successful 54
outcomes in classical educatio n; and 55
(4) Resources and support needed to help the school 56
district succeed in implementing classical education courses. 57
5. The department of elementary and secondary 58
education shall promulgate all necessary rules and 59
regulations for the adm inistration of this section. Any 60
rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in 61
section 536.010, that is created under the authority 62
delegated in this section shall become effective only if it 63
complies with and is subject to all of the provisio ns of 64
chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This 65
section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the 66
powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 67
536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove 68
and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, 69
then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed 70
or adopted after August 28, 2025, shall be invalid and void. 71