SB 962 – This act modifies provisions relating to gifted education. School districts must include in their annual school accountability report card whether the school district currently has a state-approved gifted education program. The school district must also indicate if it has had a state-approved gifted education program within the last three years. (Section 160.522)
This act requires school districts to identify gifted students and establish appropriate programs or differentiated services for them. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop a list of identification criteria with emphasis on early identification. Gifted education must be funded by school districts from their basic state aid except as described in the act. (Section 162.720)
This act modifies the elementary and secondary education funding formula by adding an additional weight for gifted education. "Gifted Education Pupil Count" is defined as the number of students who qualify as "gifted" under Section 162.675 and who are enrolled in a school district's gifted education program on the last Wednesday in January for the preceding school year. This number must not exceed five percent of a school district's enrollment for the immediately preceding academic year. The definition of "weighted average daily attendance" is modified by including in the calculation the product of .25 multiplied by the number of the district's gifted education pupil count beginning on July 1, 2012. (Section 163.011)
This act contains provisions identical to provisions contained in SB 775 (2010), HB 1295 (2010), HCS/SS/SCS/SB 734 (2010), SCS/SBs 453 & 24 (2009) and similar to provisions contained in SB 498 (2009), SB 831 (2008), HB 2542 (2008).
MICHAEL RUFF