HCS/HB 497 - This act modifies provisions relating to criminal records, school protection officers, school board vacancies, the calculation of state aid for public school districts, the minimum teacher's salary, hard-to-staff schools and subject areas, teacher education programs, teacher retirement, instruction in cursive writing, personal finance academic performance standards, and the Urban Flight and Rural Needs Scholarship Program. The act establishes the "Stop the Bleed Act," the "Extended Learning Opportunities Act," the "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Fund," the "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant" program, and the "Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program."ACCESS TO CRIMINAL RECORDS (Sections 43.539 and 43.540)
Current law provides that certain organizations may request an employee's updated criminal history record upon receiving a Rap Back notification that a new arrest has been reported on such employee, but only if the organization has completed a criminal record review on the employee within the previous six years. This act repeals the six-year requirement, thus authorizing certain organizations to request an employee's updated criminal history record if the organization has completed a national criminal record review on the employee at any time. These provisions are identical to SB 264 (2023) and to provisions in HCS/SS#3/SB 22 (2023), in CCS/SB 28 (2023), in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 40 (2023), in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 72 (2023), in CCS/HCS/SB 186 (2023), in HB 70 (2023), in HB 81 (2023), in HCS/HB 669 (2023), and in HS/HCS/HBs 1108 & 1181 (2023).
STOP THE BLEED ACT (Section 160.485)
The act establishes the "Stop the Bleed Act" to require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a traumatic blood loss protocol for school personnel to follow in the event of a serious injury. The act outlines the requirements of the protocol, including placing a bleeding control kit in areas where there is likely to be high traffic, such as auditoriums and cafeterias. The act outlines the items to be included in the bleeding control kit, such as bandages, protective gloves, and tourniquets. A bleeding control kit shall be restocked after each use. Each school district and charter school shall designate a school personnel member in each school building who shall obtain annual training in the use of the bleeding control kit. The act describes the topics to be covered in such training, such as the proper application of dressings or bandages. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, each school district, and each charter school shall maintain information about the Stop the Bleed Act on each entity's website. All costs related to the provision of bleeding control kits, kit restocking, and training of school personnel shall be subject to an appropriation to cover all costs related to such requirements by the General Assembly. These provisions are identical to HB 116 (2023) and similar to HCS/HB 1722 (2022).
EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ACT (Section 160.565)
This act establishes the "Extended Learning Opportunities Act." The act defines an "extended learning opportunity" as an out-of-classroom learning experience that provides a student with enrichment opportunities, career readiness or employability skills, or other approved educational opportunities. An extended learning opportunity approved by a local school board or charter school shall count as a credit toward graduation requirements and the achievement of applicable state standards.
The act requires local school boards and charter schools to routinely inform students and parents of opportunities for students to earn credit for participating in extended learning opportunities. Under the act, each local school district and charter school shall adopt, distribute, and implement extended learning opportunities policies that provide an application process for approving such opportunities, a list of entities that are eligible to apply to offer such opportunities, a process for students and parents to request credit, and criteria that districts and charter schools shall use to determine the approval of extended learning opportunities and the awarding of a certificate of completion and credit to students who complete an extended learning opportunity. The State Board of Education may also approve entities to offer extended learning opportunities across the state.
These provisions are identical to HB 483 (2023) and similar to SCS/HB 1856 (2022).
SCHOOL PROTECTION OFFICERS (Sections 160.665, 571.030, 571.107, 571.215, 590.010, and 590.205)
Current law authorizes school districts to designate teachers or administrators as school protection officers. This act authorizes school districts to designate any school personnel as school protection officers. A staff member must successfully complete a training program approved by the Director of the Department of Public Safety before being designated as a school protection officer. School districts shall notify the Director of the Department of Public Safety within thirty days of any such designation and provide information specified in the act. School protection officers may carry concealed weapons on school grounds if they have obtained a concealed carry endorsement or permit. School protection officers shall not be subject to current provisions of law prohibiting individuals from carrying a firearm into a school. The act also adds other designated school personnel to the list of persons who must obtain the consent of the governing body of a higher education institution, school official, or district school board in order to become authorized for a Missouri lifetime or extended concealed carry permit. These provisions are identical to provisions in HB 70 (2023) and in HB 1481 (2022).
SCHOOL BOARD VACANCIES (Sections 162.471, 162.492, and 162.611)
Under current law, any vacancy on an urban school board shall be filled by special election. Under this act, the remaining members of the board shall fill any such vacancy by appointment until the next school board election. These provisions are identical to HB 914 (2023), a provision in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023), a provision in SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023), a provision in CCS/HS/HCS/SS#2/SCS/SB 96 (2023), and a provision in HCS/SB 155 (2023).
Current law also provides that any vacancy that occurs on the City of St. Louis school board outside of the normal election cycle shall be filled by appointment by the mayor for the remainder of the term. Under this act, the City of St. Louis school board shall fill any such vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term. This provision is identical to provisions in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023), in HCS/SB 155 (2023), and in HB 716 (2023), and is substantially similar to SB 363 (2023) and provisions in SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023).
CALCULATION OF STATE AID FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS (Sections 163.011 and 163.031)
Currently, in calculating the current operating expenditures of a public school district, the amount is recalculated for each fiscal year by adding certain increases in funding from the school funding formula but not to exceed five percent per recalculation. This act increases such percentage to six percent for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, seven percent for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, eight percent for fiscal years 2029 and 2030, and nine percent for fiscal years 2031, 2032, and all subsequent fiscal years. Reimbursements of any increased costs incurred as a result of the calculation of current operating expenditures in fiscal year 2033 and any subsequent fiscal years shall be subject to appropriations.
The act also modifies the calculation of weighted average daily attendance in the education funding formula. Currently, a district's special education pupil count that exceeds the threshold percentage, a figure determined by calculating the average special education pupil count of certain high-performing districts, shall be weighted at 75%. Under this act, the special education pupil count that exceeds the threshold percentage shall be weighted at 100%.
The act specifies that 85% of the additional revenue resulting from the percentage increase in the calculation of current operating expenditures shall be deposited in the teachers' fund, with the remaining 15% placed in the incidental fund.
These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/HB 529 (2023) and in HB 1211 (2023).
MINIMUM TEACHER'S SALARY (Section 163.172)
The act raises the minimum teacher's salary from $25,000 to $38,000 for the 2024-25 school year and all subsequent school years. For teachers with a master's degree and ten years of experience, the minimum salary shall increase from $33,000 to $44,000 for the 2024-25 school year, $45,000 for the 2025-26 school year, and $46,000 for the 2026-27 school year and all subsequent school years.
The act establishes the "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Fund" to increase minimum teacher's salaries as provided in the act. The act also establishes the "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant" program to enable districts to apply to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a grant to assist in increasing minimum teacher's salaries as required by the act. Any moneys granted through the program shall not exceed 70% of the amount necessary for a district to increase minimum teacher's salaries as required under the act. No grant shall be made from the Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Fund after June 30, 2027.
This provision is similar to HB 189 (2023) and HB 433 (2023).
HARD-TO-STAFF SCHOOLS AND SUBJECT AREAS (Section 168.110)
The act provides that a school board may include differentiated placement of teachers on the salary schedule to increase compensation in order to recruit and retain teachers in hard-to-staff subject areas or schools. No modifications to the identification of hard-to-staff subject areas or schools shall result in the demotion of a teacher in the salary schedule. Each school district that includes differentiated placement of teachers on the district salary schedule shall annually provide to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education a report containing information outlined in the act. This provision is identical to HB 190 (2023) and a provision in HCS/HB 1770 (2022) and similar to provisions in HCS/HB 471 (2023), in SB 1206 (2022), in SB 1098 (2022), and in HCS/HB 2652 (2022).
TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS (Section 168.400)
The act repeals provisions of current law that require preservice teacher education programs to include a program of entry-level testing of all prospective teacher education students to be administered by the Commissioner of Education.
PSRS: RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE MULTIPLIER (Section 169.070)
Current law provides that between July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2014, a member of Public School Retirement System of Missouri (PSRS) with thirty-one years or more of service, regardless of age, be provided a retirement allowance with a multiplier of 2.55% of the member's final average salary for each year of the membership service. This act modifies this provision by removing the expiration date and by providing that a member with thirty-two years or more of service may receive such retirement allowance. This provision is identical to provisions in SB 247 (2023), in HCS/HB 155 (2023), in HCS/HB 257 (2023), in HB 495 (2023), in HCS/HB 496 (2023), HB 905 (2023), a provision in HCS/HB 934 (2023), HCS/HB 2161 (2022), HB 2430 (2022), a provision in HCS/HB 2799 (2022), HCS/HB 811 (2021), and HCS/HB 828 (2021), and is similar to HB 1298 (2020), HB 69 (2019), and HB 2633 (2018).
PSRS/PEERS: WORKING AFTER RETIREMENT (Sections 169.560 & 169.596)
Currently, any teacher retired from PSRS can be employed in a position covered under the Public Education Employee Retirement System of Missouri (PEERS) without stopping their retirement benefit. Such teachers may earn up to 60% of the minimum teacher's salary as set forth in law, but will not contribute to either retirement system nor earn creditable service. Beginning on August 28, 2023, and ending on June 30, 2028, this act allows such teachers to earn up to 133% of the annual earnings limit applicable to a Social Security recipient before the calendar year of attainment of full retirement age under federal regulations. After June 30, 2028, such teachers may earn up to the annual earnings limit applicable to a Social Security recipient before the calendar year of attainment of full retirement age. Additionally, this act shall not apply to retired members currently receiving benefits who are employed as a full-time teacher of certain state agencies and institutions.
Additionally, current law provides that a retired teacher or a retired noncertificated employee who is receiving a retirement benefit from PSRS/PEERS is allowed to work full-time for up to two years for a PSRS/PEERS-covered school district if there is a shortage of certified teachers or noncertificated employees. This act allows such employees to work full-time up to four years for such districts. Furthermore, the number of retired teachers that currently may teach in a school district with a critical shortage shall not exceed, at any one time, the lesser of 10% of the teacher staff for that school district, or five teachers. This act provides that the total number of retired teachers shall not exceed, at any one time, the greater of 1% of the total of teacher and non-certified staff for that school district, or five teachers.
These provisions are identical to provisions in CCS/SB 20 (2023) and are substantially similar to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 75 (2023), in SB 247 (2023), in HCS/HB 257 (2023), in HCS/HB 496 (2023), and in HCS/HB 934 (2023), and are similar to provisions in HB 495 (2023), in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 681 & 662 (2022), in HCS/SS#2/SB 997 (2022), HCS/HB 1753 (2022), provisions in HB 1881 (2022), HB 2114 (2022), SCS/HCS/HB 2304 (2022), HB 2787 (2022), and provisions in HCS/HB 2799 (2022), in HCS/HB 811 (2021), in HB 812 (2021), in HB 2291 (2020), and in HB 2460 (2020).
INSTRUCTION IN CURSIVE WRITING (Section 170.025)
The act requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade and ensure that each student passes a teacher-constructed test demonstrating competency in both reading and writing cursive. This provision is identical to SB 664 (2023) and HB 232 (2023) and similar to HB 2073 (2022), HB 108 (2021), SB 1071 (2020), SCS/SB 528 (2020), HB 1262 (2020), HB 54 (2019), and HB 2614 (2018).
PERSONAL FINANCE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (Section 170.281)
This act requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to convene a work group to develop and recommend academic performance standards relating to the one-half unit of credit in personal finance required for high school graduation. Members of the work group shall include educators who provide instruction in personal finance, a representative from the Missouri Association of Career and Technical Education, and others specified in the act. The State Board of Education shall adopt and implement academic performance standards for the 2023-24 school year and all subsequent school years. Every ten years, the State Board of Education shall review the academic performance standards to determine whether they should be updated to reflect trends and best practices in the current economy. This provision is identical to provisions in HCS/SCS/SB 187 (2023), in HCS/HB 586 (2023), and in HCS/HB 809 (2023) and similar to SB 503 (2023) and a provision in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023).
TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (Section 173.232)
The act changes the name of the "Urban Flight and Rural Needs Scholarship Program" to the "Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program." The corresponding state treasury fund is also renamed accordingly.
The number of years a student may receive a scholarship is reduced from four to two years. The number of students who may receive a scholarship is increased from 100 to 200 in the 2024-25 academic year, with 20 more students being added in each subsequent year until 2029-30, when three hundred students shall receive scholarships.
To be eligible for a scholarship, recipients shall sign an agreement to teach in a hard-to-staff subject a hard-to-staff school, as defined in the act, in a Missouri public school for two years for every one year the recipient receives a scholarship. Recipients after June 30, 2024 shall also sign a statement that they have made a good faith effort to secure all available federal sources of grant funding.
The scholarships provided in the act shall be available to students who have successfully completed two years at a community college, been awarded an associate degree or the equivalent, or have completed their baccalaureate degree.
The act modifies the interest rate paid by scholarship recipients who do not follow through on their agreement to teach in a hard-to-staff subject or school and must therefore repay their scholarship award as a loan.
An individual who has qualified as an eligible student under the act shall continue to qualify as an eligible student as long as he or she remains employed by the school district in which he or she agrees to teach, regardless of whether his or her employing school no longer qualifies as a hard-to-staff school, the class he or she teaches longer qualifies as a hard-to-staff subject area, or his or her position within the school district changes.
OLIVIA SHANNON