Weekly Update

April 19, 2024

Final pieces click into place to pass landmark bill

It's been two years since a significant piece of education legislation hit the governor's desk. However, yesterday, the House mustered the necessary 82 votes to give final approval to SB 727 (Koenig), a 167-page package that doubles state investment in early childhood education and provides more flexibility and incentives to address teacher recruitment and retention challenges, which were Aligned's top Missouri priorities for this legislative session.

In an impassioned speech to his colleagues, Representative Phil Christofanelli (R- St. Peters), a longtime champion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), said, "This is the most substantive investment in public education that this state has ever seen. This is going to be a hard vote for some people, but it's also probably going to be the most important vote you ever take."

Many members found this vote challenging because of the school choice provisions related to the ESA, the charter expansion for Boone County, and the estimated overall price tag of between $150 and $400 million. However, most agreed that there was a lot to love in the bill.

Some of the other highlights noted by Rep. Christofanelli include:

Moving to an attendance model based on both attendance and enrollment
Doubling the size of the small schools grant
Raising the teacher salary pay floor to $40,000
Creating a new career ladder
Allowing voters to decide on whether or not to implement four-day school weeks in their communities
Tripling the size of the ESA program from $25 million to $74 million
Authorizing charter schools for Boone County
Protections for homeschoolers who do not participate in government-funded programs

Click here to see all the provisions in the bill.

With only four weeks left to move legislation, securing the 82 votes needed for passage required amending HB 2287 (Christofanelli) related to virtual schools that would reinstate a 40% transportation trigger that had been inadvertently removed from SB 727, clearing up statutes pertaining to gun ownership for homeschool families, and clarifying that an 18-hour teacher certification requirement did not apply to homeschool educators. The Senate passed that bill with a vote of 27-4, and the House Truly Agreed and finally passed that bill with a 105-32 vote.

Aligned appreciates the leadership of Senator Karla Eslinger and Representatives Ed Lewis and Brad Pollitt, who worked hard to ensure that the early childhood and teacher recruitment and retention language was included in SB 727, respectively.

About Aligned

Aligned is the only state-wide non-profit, nonpartisan business group working in Kansas and Missouri on educational issues impacting the full development of our children, from supporting high-quality early learning to solid secondary programs that provide rigorous academic programs and real-world learning opportunities.

Our vision is that our public education systems in Kansas and Missouri have the resources and flexibility to prepare students to pursue the future of their choice.

We are currently focused on education policies that will strengthen early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and school finance reform.

Learn more about our work.

The Missouri House chamber during debate on March 12, 2023 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).

Missouri News

Missouri lawmakers advance critical legislation beyond SB 727

While the passage of SB 727 was certainly the big news of the week, lawmakers also devoted time to moving along other important legislation.

The House perfected HJR 132 (Hausman), which proposes a Constitutional Amendment requiring life imprisonment for the conviction of sexual trafficking of children, subject to voter approval.

The House also sent the following three bills to the Upper Chamber related to:

Antibullying Policies - On Monday, the House passed HB 1715 (Byrnes), which requires DESE to develop a model policy to address bullying and school discipline, requires school districts to implement bullying-response and discipline protocols in a way that restricts punishment as a result of zero tolerance policies for victims of or defendants of victims of bullying and implements programs which educate students on strategies to overcome the negative effects of bullying, helps students develop social skills, cultivates a student's self-worth and self-esteem, and teaches the student assertive and effective self-defense, by a vote of 115-0.

Career & Educational Experience Externships - On Tuesday, the House passed HB 1945 (Shields), which removes the expiration on a voluntary vocational, career and technical externship program for professional educators to experience, participate in, and gain knowledge of the available career pathways, educational requirements, and emerging fields of study available to high school students entering college or the workforce in Missouri, by a vote of 150-0.

Department of Revenue Fees - On Monday, the House passed HB 1775 (Perkins), an omnibus that, among other provisions, exempts homeless or unaccompanied children and youth from fees associated with obtaining a nondriver identification card or driving permit to complete driver's education, by a vote of 115-32.

House Committee Activity

There were no hearings of note this week

Senate Floor Activity

Freedom Caucus members started the week by taking turns to filibuster a bill sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean (R-Dunklin Co), which would ban the exportation of water outside of Missouri without a valid permit. After several hours of debate the bill was laid over. Some expected to debate the renewal of the state's Medicaid tax, known as the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA), but the Senate had barely gaveled in before adjourning for the day with no formal business.

On Wednesday, the Chamber finally got to work, TAFP'ing one bill:

HB 2016 (Smith), a supplemental spending bill granting appropriations authority to the Departments of Public Safety and National Guard to pay for the salary and overtime expense of members of the Highway Patrol and National Guard deployed to the US-Mexico border, by a vote of 30-2.

Perfection and Third Read: In addition to HB 2287 noted above, the Senate also Perfected HB 1751 (Haffner), known as the landfill bill, to send back to the House for True Agreement on Wednesday.

Senate Committee Activity

Appeals decisions - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 1297 (Bean), which provides that the State Board of Education shall be responsible for handling appeals of decisions made by statewide additives associations.

Cursive Writing - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 1462 (Trent), which requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction in cursive writing.

Standings So Far:

House Third Read Bills: 105 (including 18 Budget bills)
Senate Third Read Bills: 35
Truly Agreed: 3

Parson appoints new state board members

This week, Governor Mike Parson appointed Dr. Tawni Ferrarini of St. Charles, and Dr. Thomas Prater of Springfield to the State Board of Education.

Dr. Ferrarini currently serves as a professor of economic education at Lindenwood University. She previously served as professor and director of economic education and entrepreneurship for Northern Michigan University. Dr. Ferrarini has been a member of the National Association of Economic Education since 2000 and has numerous peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Ferrarini holds a Ph.D. in economics and a Master of Arts in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.

Dr. Prater currently serves as a partner physician at Mattax, Neu, and Prater Eye Center in Springfield. He is a member of the Missouri State Medical Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He previously represented Zone 2 on the Springfield City Council. Dr. Prater holds a Doctor of Medicine from Washington University’s School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Southern Methodist University.

Reports

Read our full, unabridged legislative report here.

See all tracked legislation here.

Budget Update

This week, the Senate took up HB 2016 (Smith), the Emergency Supplemental bill for $2.2 million to fund the Governor's Executive Order that sent Missouri National Guard members and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to the southern border in Texas. After about an hour of debate, the Senate Third-Read and Passed the bill by a 30-2 vote. HB 2016 is the first bill sent to the Governor this session.

The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to meet next Tuesday and Wednesday, if necessary, to begin working on the FY25 budget. Chairman Lincoln Hough says he intends to bring the bills up before the full Senate the following week, leaving one week to negotiate any differences between the House and Senate before the May 10th constitutional deadline.

Read our legislative report for more details on the budget process.

In other news

Aligned Priority Bills Report for Missouri

Yesterday, the House took and passed SB 727, which includes numerous education-related provisions and Aligned policy priorities. This bill now heads to the Governor's desk.

Early Childhood Education and Childcare

Free and voluntary Pre-K for all students who qualify for free- and reduced lunch

HB 1486 (Shields) - Hearing conducted in Select Committee on Empowering Parents and Children - 4/9/24. No change.
SB 871 (Eslinger) -Removed from Senate Hearing Agenda - Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children. 3/26/24. NO CHANGE
SB 727 (Koenig) - Education omnibus with ESA's as underlying bill and Pre-K expansion included. Truly Agreed and Finally Passed on 4-18-24.

Childcare tax credit package

HB 1488 (Shields) - Placed on Senate Informal Calendar. 4/10/24. NO CHANGE.
SB 742 (Arthur) - Placed on Senate Informal Calendar 2/27/24. NO CHANGE.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Differentiated Pay

HB 1447 (Lewis) - Placed on Informal Calendar on 4/3/24. NO CHANGE.
SB 727 (Koenig) - Education omnibus with ESA's as underlying bill and Pre-K expansion included. Truly Agreed and Finally Passed on 4-18-24.

School Finance Reform

Alternative Poverty Metric

SB 1080 (Arthur) - referred to Senate - Select Committee on Empowering Parents and Children on 1/25/24. NO CHANGE.

Other education legislation

Open Enrollment

HB 1989 (Pollitt) - Hearing Conducted in Senate - Select Committee on Empowering Parents and Children on 4/9/24. NO CHANGE.

Accountability Measures

HB 2184 (Haffner) - Reported Do Pass from House Rules Regulatory Oversight on 4-17-24.
SB 1366 (Trent) - Voted Do Pass as substituted. 2/21/24. NO CHANGE.

See the status of all Aligned priority bills here.

Kansas News

Kelly signs legislation for flexible school funding

Governor Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 73 into law in a move to address the diverse needs of Kansas' school districts. The bill, which amends the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act (KSEEA), introduces significant changes to the process of determining school district enrollment.

Governor Kelly emphasized the importance of this legislation in ensuring that the state's school funding formula adequately supports all types of districts, whether they are experiencing growth in student numbers or grappling with declining enrollment. By granting districts more flexibility in determining their enrollment counts, the bill aims to empower districts to better address the unique needs of their communities.

Senate Bill 73 introduces three enrollment count options for the 2024-2025 school year: the current year, the preceding year, or the average of the preceding and second-preceding years. This provision offers districts dealing with declining enrollment a transition period, allowing them time to adapt without facing an immediate loss in funding. From the 2025-2026 school year onwards, districts will choose between the current year and the preceding year's enrollment counts, ensuring fairness and accuracy in funding allocation.

This legislation addresses the concerns of both growing and declining enrollment districts. Republican lawmakers had initially proposed changes to enrollment calculations, arguing that the existing law unfairly burdened taxpayers by counting students who had moved out of a district. However, concerns were raised that the original proposal could disproportionately impact districts with declining enrollment.

Under the compromise plan, school districts will have the flexibility to base their enrollment counts on a broader timeframe, providing stability for districts experiencing fluctuations in student numbers. School administrators and education advocates hailed it as a responsible solution that supports the needs of all Kansas schools.

Superintendents from districts with growing populations highlighted the challenges they faced in accommodating increasing enrollment with limited resources. Conversely, administrators from districts with declining enrollment emphasized the importance of financial stability afforded by the existing funding formula.

Key 2024 Legislative Deadlines

April 29 - Veto Session begins

In other news

Torree Pederson participates in a roundtable at the PIE Network Spring Executives meeting.

Pederson picked for leadership program

Yesterday, we received the exciting news that leaders at the PIE Network selected Torree Pederson as a Leadership Institute Cohort 9 member. Torree joins 21 other leaders from across the country in a year-long program focused on navigating change in challenging political landscapes. Since its inception in 2013, the Leadership Institute has been the premier opportunity within the PIE Network, with over 180 advocates participating.

The PIE Network, known for being "nonpartisan in ideas and bipartisan in approach," comprises advocates and organizations dedicated to enhancing education through policy reform. Its mission involves engaging and convening members, amplifying best practices and resources, and supporting and sustaining leaders.

Aligned has proudly been a member of the network for over five years.

Also, last week, we mentioned that the bust of Marie Watkins Oliver - the "Betsy Ross" of Missouri and grandmother to Aligned board member David Oliver, who told our editor he was "proud to see her honored" was unveiled this week. Here she is in all her bronze beauty.

Cheers to past achievements and present opportunities!