HCS/SCS/SBs 1225 & 1226 – This act modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education.SCHOOL BOARD VACANCIES: Current law provides that any vacancy occurring on a school board, except for an urban school district, will be filled by the remaining members of the board. This act provides that a vacancy will be filled by a public election conducted by the election authority. (Section 162.261)
SPECIAL EDUCATION DUE PROCESS HEARINGS: This act provides local school boards the authority to identify a designee to bind the school district in a settlement agreement reached during the resolution session of a special education due process hearing.
Current law requires a five business day notice for the introduction of evidence at a special education due process hearing, with the exception of an expedited hearing. This act removes the exception for expedited hearings and applies the five-day notice period to expedited hearings as well.
This act will bring Missouri into compliance with the federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (Sections 162.961 and 162.963)
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR COMPENSATION: The school board for each school district is required to annually provide a detailed financial statement to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education containing names, total compensation packages, and any expenses made on behalf of the districts' superintendents, any assistant superintendents, and any consultant hired for administrative duties. Such information shall be published on the Department's website. (Section 165.111)
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES: This act requires that the educational needs of certain children committed to the guardianship of the Department of Social Services are to be considered by the child's family support team. The local school district is invited to be represented on the family support team. The act addresses homebound instruction, alternative settings, and reimbursement procedures for educational services for facilities with their own school and staff.
When a child who is not receiving special education services is placed in a licensed residential care facility by the Department, the facility is responsible for the child's educational services, unless the child's plan of treatment indicates that the child is able to attend public school.
Any child under the care of a facility whose plan of treatment supports attendance at a public school but who subsequently is suspended or otherwise demonstrates school failure will receive educational services as described in the act.
Facilities with schools on site may contract with the local school district to provide educational services at the facility, and districts may contract with facilities to provide such services. Residential care facilities are not obligated to create an on-site school. The school district and the facility must file a plan annually, describing the methods by which educational services will be supplied to children. (Section 167.128)
TEACHER CONTRACTS AND SALARIES – This act allows school districts to provide teacher salaries that include hiring incentives or salary schedule modifications based on a teacher's qualifications in addition to the teacher's years of experience and academic degrees, as long as the schedule applies equitably to all teachers who are similarly qualified. School districts may provide hiring incentives or salary schedule modifications to attract and retain teachers based on experience or credentials that are exceptionally well suited to a district's needs for academic improvement. Districts will have the authority to determine whether to provide the incentives. Teachers may be required to teach in the district for up to three years in return for the incentive. (Sections 168.110, 168.126)
TEACHER BILL OF RIGHTS - This act establishes a Teacher Bill of Rights, which prohibits teacher associations from using payroll deductions for disbursement to a committee, as specified in the act, unless written consent has been given within the past twelve months. The act contains guidelines for the consent form and for handling deductions that contain more than a committee contribution. (Section 168.295)
This act contains provisions that may be similar to or may be contained in: HB 2181 (2008), HB 1477 (2008), HCS/HBs 2040 & 2340 (2008), SCS/HB 1972 (2008), SCS/HB 1973 (2008), HCS/HB 827 (2007), HCS/HBs 1876 & 1877 HB 267 (2007), SB 140 (2007), SB 148 (2007).
MICHAEL RUFF