SB 543 - This act allows students in school districts where students attend a four-day school week to transfer to an adjoining district where students attend a five-day school week. For each such student, the "sending district" from which the student is transferring shall pay the "receiving district" that receives the transferring student an amount equivalent to the state adequacy target plus the average sum produced per child by the local tax effort above the state adequacy target of the sending district. If a student transfers to a private school or a home school under the provisions of this act, then the sending district shall reimburse the student's parent for qualified educational expenses defined in the act. By February first annually, the board of education of each eligible receiving district shall publish the number of transferring students the district is able to receive for the following school year. A receiving district shall not be required to accept any transferring students that would result in a class size and assigned enrollment exceeding the standards of the Missouri School Improvement Program. Additionally, a receiving district shall not be required to accept a transferring student if such student has committed a violent or disruptive offense defined in the act.
A receiving district shall accept credits toward graduation that were awarded by another district. A receiving district shall also award a diploma to a transferring student if the student meets the receiving district's graduation requirements.
A transferring student's parent shall be responsible for the student's transportation to and from school, except as otherwise provided in the act.
For purposes of determining state and federal aid, a student who transfers schools under the provisions of this act shall be counted as a resident of the receiving district in which the student is enrolled.
The superintendent of a school district where students attend a four-day school week shall publish information about the provisions of this act on the district website and in the student handbook.
OLIVIA SHANNON