JEFFERSON CITY - Senate Bill 493, which includes an act sponsored by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, was Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed by the Senate today, sending this important educational bill to the governor for his signature. The bill is a culmination of bipartisan work to reform Missouri’s school accreditation and student transfer process.

Throughout the legislative process, Sen. Chappelle-Nadal stressed the education of children should be held with the highest importance. Ensuring that Missouri provide the youth of this state with unsurpassed educational opportunities remained a top priority for Sen. Chappelle-Nadal. The bill was debated diligently throughout the House and the Senate to protect every student’s right to an equal opportunity to receive the best education available.

The passage of SB 493 coincides with one of the most important court cases ever decided. On May 17, 1954, two days shy of 60 years, marks the anniversary of one of this nation’s largest landmark cases that opened new doors to education and integration. In Brown v Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws already in place, declaring separate schooling for white and black students, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  The ruling unanimously stated that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”

“Since this ruling, never has there been such a substantive change made to the educational opportunities of those living in the wrong zip code, until now,” said Sen. Chappelle-Nadal. “I humbly thank all the forward-thinking representatives and senators who put the children first and partisanship aside. It truly could not have been done without the help of everyone involved.”

Whether it was an opponent supporting the philosophy of separate but equal, or a proponent with the belief that children should have the freedom to receive an equal education, differences were able to be set aside in order to ensure the best possible education available on behalf of all Missouri students.

SB 493 changes how the state assigns classification designations to individual schools throughout the state, naming them as unaccredited, provisionally accredited, accredited or accredited with distinction.  The legislation creates three regional authorities (one for the St. Louis region, a second authority for the Kansas City area, and a third for the rest of the state) to oversee student transfers in Missouri .  It also revises the number of required school days per year, changing it from 174 school days for a five-day week or 142 school days for a four-day week to 1,044 school hours per year.  In addition, the bill addresses how certain students transfer from one school to another when their home school is deemed unaccredited.  One of the most debated provisions in the bill allows voters in certain parts of the state — St. Louis City, and St. Louis and Jackson counties – to decide if students from an unaccredited district may transfer to a nonsectarian private school located in the district.  The bill now awaits Gov. Nixon’s signature.

For more information on Senate Bill 493 as well as other legislation sponsored by Sen. Chappelle-Nadal, visit her Senate Web page at www.senate.mo.gov/chappelle-nadal.