Yesterday President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion relief package into law. Known as the American Rescue Package, this stimulus measure will deliver $1,400 payments to 98% of Americans and provide billions to states and local governments across the country. 

Just for reference, $1.9 trillion is nearly 10 percent of the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States and roughly equal to Italy's annual GDP. 

This figure includes about $130 billion for the nation's K-12 system.

Missouri's estimated state & local relief aid is projected to total more than $5.4 billion, including approximately:

HB 1071 (Shields) - a bill that makes the Quality Assurance Report permanent was passed out of the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education by a vote of 19-0. The bill sponsor offered an amendment to extend the sunset another four years in lieu of removing the sunset altogether, which assuaged some legislator concerns. This provision would allow the state to continue to develop its program for early care and education continuous improvement. 

PUBLIC SCHOOL TRANSFERS: This week the House took up and Perfected HCS HB 543, sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt (R-Sedalia).  This legislation establishes transfer procedures to nonresident districts for students in public schools.  The full bill summary may be found here:  HB 543.

21st CENTURY MISSOURI SOCIAL SERVICES GAP ANALYSIS TASK FORCE: On Monday, the House Committee on General Laws conducted a public hearing on HB 1165, sponsored by Rep. Louis Riggs (R-Hannibal).  This bill establishes the "21st Century Missouri Social Services Gap Analysis Task force". 

Here are a few toplines from activity under the state dome this week:

 Read the full update including potential senate contenders here.

Funding state education with federal relief dollars stirs debate

Today, the Senate Ways and Means Committee refused to take any action on nearly $500 million in K-12 funding until May. Lawmakers need more research to determine whether they can fund schools with federal COVID-19 relief assistance rather than state general revenue. Schools officials have argued that federal relief dollars should only fund pandemic-related expenses. 

The legislature must eventually replace the federal allocation with state funds to meet the Gannon ruling requirements. Generally, federal funds involve a "supplement, not supplant" provision. In other words, you cannot replace state funds with federal funds. We anticipate more debate around this as the legislature deals with the funding in May's omnibus session. Source: KASB News

 

Education Bills Moving Forward

 

SB 235, which requires Kansas public schools to offer an in-person learning option by March 26 under legislation, was recommended for the House K-12 Education Budget Committee's approval. Already passed by the Senate, this bill will now go to the full House for a vote. Currently, only one district, KCK USD 500, is offering fully remote learning.  

 

SB32 authorizes school districts to pay the tuition for a student's dual or concurrent enrollment in a postsecondary educational institution and requiring a tuition waiver for foster children who are dually or concurrently enrolled. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 1:30 PM Room 218-N. Watch live here . 

HB 2287, the bill establishing the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act to provide scholarships to students who attend postsecondary educational programs that correspond to high-need career fields, was recommended "do pass" from the House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development on March 12. This bill moves onto the House for consideration.

 

HB 2119 offers a voucher to eligible children's families to access funding equal to the base state aid per pupil to pay for private school tuition and other expense. This bill incorporated the language from HB 2068, expanding tax credits for students to attend private schools and HB 2067, requiring school districts to allocate funding to ensure all students achieve specific goals. REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE on March 10th.

 

SB 63  is a bill that expands the provision of the ACT college entrance exam and WorkKeys assessments to students enrolled in nonpublic schools.  PASSED OUT OF SENATE & referred to Committee on K-12 Education Budget on March 10.

 

HB 2039 - the House approved requiring students to pass a civics test to graduate high school. The bill, which struggled to move out of committee, passed the House on a 69-54 vote despite concerns that the legislature was encroaching on the state Board of Education's constitutional turf. PASSED House; Moving to Senate Committee on Education on March 11.

 

HB 2068 will expand the state's Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program. REFERRED to the House Committee of the Whole on March 10.

This week our advocacy team had a full roster working the hallways of the Missouri Capitol. Aligned President and co-founder Torree Pederson traveled to Jefferson City for two days of legislator visits. Torree and Linda had not been together in-person for more than a year. We have Zoom to thank for accelerating our work during the pandemic. However, there is no substitute for face-to-face communication. 

This year, we have been able to augment our agenda thanks to Dr. Stacey Preis, Garrett Webb, and Trent Watson's hard work. 

The Missouri General Assembly will be on a short spring break - and we will also use that time to recharge our batteries. No newsletter next Friday, but we will be back under the dome on March 22nd. 

All the best,

Torree Pederson [email protected] (913) 484-4202		Linda Rallo [email protected] (314) 330-8442