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) and provisions in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023), in CCS/HS/HCS/SS#2/SCS/SB 96 (2023), in HCS/SB 155 (2023), in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023), and in HCS/HB 497 (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 SB 363 (2023) and is substantially similar to provisions in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023), in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023), in HCS/SB 155 (2023), and in HCS/HB 497 (2023).

SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS (Section 167.027)

Under the act, a student's most recent special education record shall be deemed a permanent record and shall be maintained as a part of such child's cumulative scholastic record. A "student special education record" is defined as including a student's individualized education program, individualized family service plan, 504 plan, and any other records produced for a child with disabilities under the federal law. A school district shall not destroy a student's most recent special education record. This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023), to HB 1289 (2023), and to a provision in HCS/HB 1163 (2023).

EDUCATIONAL COSTS FOR CHILDREN IN PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES (Section 167.126)

Under the act, when a child's school district of residence, other than the district of domicile, provides educational services while the child temporarily resides in a psychiatric residential treatment facility for more than three days, the district of domicile shall remit to the district of residence an amount equal to the average per-pupil sum produced by the local tax effort of the district of domicile. This provision is identical to SB 603 (2023) and a provision in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023) and is similar to HB 743 (2023) and provisions in SS/HB 447 (2023), in HCS/SS/SB 198 (2023), and in HCS/HB 715 (2023).

OLIVIA SHANNON