Senator Keaveny Files Legislation Regarding Early Childhood Education

Senator Keaveny Files Legislation Regarding Early Childhood Education

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, has filed Senate Bill 651, which expands opportunities for low-income children to attend high quality early childhood education programs.  The bill also makes necessary alterations to the public school funding formula. 

“This legislation is similar to a measure I filed last year,” Sen. Keaveny said. “Right now, there is ambiguity in the law regarding early childhood education funding.  The department claims that the early childhood bill we passed a few years ago does not apply to charter schools. I will not stand by and watch low-income students be denied the benefits of early childhood education, the positive effects of which are far-reaching.”

Current law phases-in early childhood funding for students between the ages of three and five years old who are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Senate Bill 651 confirms that this early childhood revenue stream is indeed applicable to charter schools, not just traditional public schools.

Senate Bill 651 also contains a fix for the public school funding formula. By capping the effects of a few irregular districts in the State Adequacy Target (SAT) recalculation, SB 651 would help ensure that outlier districts don’t artificially inflate the cost of funding the formula.

“The statute requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to recalculate the SAT every two years,” Senator Keaveny said. “We need to fully fund the formula, period.  But that being said, I also recognize that full funding will be much more difficult to achieve if the General Assembly doesn’t get a handle on this outlier issue that is artificially inflating the overall cost of formula.”

For more information on Sen. Keaveny’s sponsored legislation, visit his official Missouri Senate website atwww.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.