How to deal with unaccredited school districts has been an ongoing issue in our state for years. The Legislature has debated numerous measures over multiple sessions on how to deal with a problem that is seriously affecting students and families in certain areas of our state. Complicating the matter even further is a 1993 law that allows students in unaccredited districts to transfer to accredited schools in adjoining districts.

The entire situation came to a head last September when thousands of children in St. Louis transferred out of two unaccredited districts to nearby schools. What was always a pressing problem suddenly became an immediate one.

When we began the 2014 session, we pledged to spend a considerable amount of time finding a solution. Those efforts culminated this week with the passage of Senate Bill 493, which contains various provisions to deal with unaccredited school districts and address the current problems associated with the transfer law.

Under the legislation, the state could move more quickly to deal with unaccredited school districts. The bill also allows accreditation by building and prevents the State Board from classifying a school district as unaccredited unless 55 percent of the schools within the district are unaccredited. By accrediting a district by building, students can transfer to a better school within the district if their school is not educating them properly, saving the district money and helping them remain solvent as they work toward reaccreditation.   

However, the bill has a long road ahead. It still has to go to the House, where it will likely be amended and changed. After that, both chambers will have to work together to iron out any differences. But, this week marked a huge step in fixing an issue that has plagued our state’s education system for too long. I’m hopeful we continue to make steady progress on a solution.

In other news, the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee, on which I sit, was presented with the Tourism Commission’s annual report on Thursday morning. As citizens in our area know, tourism is a key part of local economies. Our region is home to countless tourist destinations, such as Johnson Shut-Ins, Elephant Rock, St. Joe, Taum Sauk Mountain, Sam A. Baker, Hawn, St. Francois, and Washington State Parks.  The wine industry around Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois counties has also grown tremendously in recent years.

Bringing tourism dollars to local businesses supports countless families and individuals in regions throughout the state, including our own.

The presentation once again highlighted why it’s so important we push back against the federal government’s attempts to limit access to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a national park that contains two of the best recreational rivers in our state, the Jacks Fork and the Current.

Right now, the National Parks Service is attempting to alter the current management plan for this park. If it’s allowed to move forward, citizens would be greatly limited in enjoying one of the most beautiful areas of our state.  I’m hopeful the Parks Service listens to the public comments against the new plans and keeps in place the current regulatory standards.

I was happy to welcome multiple local citizens and organizations to my Capitol Office. Visitors included Dr. Christopher Sloan, from the Missouri Podiatric Medical Association; Dr. Jonathan Privet and his daughter Rebecca; Stacy Williams and Andréa Mayfield from BJC- Missouri Alliance for Home Care; Maggie Cook with gifted students and parents from Ste. Genevieve school district; and constituents from our area who are members of the Farm Bureau and United Food and Commercial Workers group.  I also visited with John Cox, Jessica Dunn and Audrey Yates from Potosi schools regarding education issues and Dr. Jane Otto and Dr. Vernon Cherry representing the MO Dental Association.  I’d like to thank all of them for stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to meet with individuals and groups from back home.

Sen. Romine’s Sponsored Legislation for 2014

Contact Me