SCS/SB 769 - Under this act, the Commissioner of Education may approve and authorize up to four pilot recovery high schools to be established and operated by individual public school districts or groups of such districts. Recovery high schools shall serve as an alternative public high school setting and recovery program for students in recovery from substance use disorder or substance dependency, or such a condition along with co-occurring disorders as described in the act, who would academically and clinically benefit from placement in the recovery high school and who are committed to working on their recovery. Districts seeking to operate a recovery high school shall submit proposals to the Commissioner by December 1st in the year prior to the first school year in which the school would begin operation. The proposal shall detail how the school will comply with the existing requirements for public high schools as well as how the school will be accredited by a recovery school accreditation organization as described in the act.
The proposal must include a financial plan outlining anticipated public and private funding that will allow the recovery high school to operate and meet the school’s educational and recovery criteria. The district or districts may partner with one or more local nonprofit organizations or other local educational agencies regarding the establishment and operation of a recovery high school. The proposal may contain requests for waivers of existing regulations, which shall be deemed granted if the proposal is approved by the State Board of Education with the recommendation of the Commissioner.
The Commissioner of Education may specify an authorization period for the recovery high school which shall be no less than four years. By June 30th annually, the school district or group of school districts, in consultation with the recovery high school, shall submit to the Commissioner an analysis of school outcomes, as described in the act. The Commissioner shall review the analysis, renew recovery high schools meeting the requirements of the act and the requirements of the school's proposal, and may include new terms and conditions to address areas needing correction or improvement. The Commissioner may revoke or suspend the authorization of a recovery high school not meeting such requirements.
Pupil attendance, dropout rate, student performance or statewide assessments or other data considered in the Missouri school improvement program and school accreditation shall not be attributed to general accreditation of either a sending district or the district or districts operating the recovery high school and may only be used by the commissioner in the renewal process for the recovery high school.
School districts may enroll their students in a recovery high school by entering an agreement with district or districts operating the school. Parents of eligible students and eligible students over the age of 18 may seek to enroll in the school. A recovery high shall not limit or deny admission to an eligible student based on race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, income level, proficiency in the English language, or athletic ability.
Recovery high schools shall adopt a policy establishing a tuition rate by February first of the preceding school year; that the sending district shall pay the tuition rate or an amount of per-student state and local funding as described in the act, whichever is lower; and that the sending district will remain responsible for special education and disability expenses in excess of the tuition paid.
The Commissioner may enter into an agreement with the appropriate official or agency of another state to develop a reciprocity agreement for otherwise eligible, non-resident students seeking to attend a recovery high school in Missouri. A recovery high school may enroll otherwise eligible students residing in a state other than Missouri, pursuant to such reciprocity agreement. Such reciprocity agreement shall require the out-of-state student's district of residence to pay to the recovery high school an annual amount equal to 105% of the recovery high school's tuition rate. Eligible students from states with which the Commissioner does not have a reciprocity agreement may attend a recovery high school provided such student pays 105% of the recovery high school's tuition rate. No student enrolled pursuant to a reciprocity agreement shall be considered a resident pupil for purposes of calculating state aid.
This act is similar to a provision in the truly agreed CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SBs 681 & 662 (2022), a provision in HCS/HB 1753 (2022), SCS/SB 259 (2021), SB 525 (2020), SCS/HCS/HB 1540 (2020), and HB 1487 (2020).
JAMIE ANDREWS