Increasing Opportunities for Children

One of the great things about Missouri, in my opinion, is that families are provided wide latitude in regards to educating their children. When a family believes, for whatever reason, local public schools don’t address their needs, they can choose to educate their children at home. My own family has made this decision, and our daughters attend school at home. While homeschooling provides many benefits to children and families, there are definitely sacrifices that go along with not attending public schools.

Children who attend public schools can avail themselves of so many extra-curricular activities that are difficult for homeschooling families to match. In the past, not being able to participate in sports, band, theater and other after-school activities was just part of the price of maintaining total control over your children’s education. It always seemed to me to be an especially unfair price, given that we pay the same taxes that families who send their kids to public schools pay, but that’s the way it is. A measure passed by the Missouri Senate this week could change that. Senate Bill 411 will make it possible for homeschooled children to participate in public school athletics and other extra-curricular activities.

It might come as a surprise to some, but not all families who educate their children at home were initially supportive of the idea. There are some homeschooling families that view participation in school sports, or even taking advantage of educational savings accounts, as an invitation for government intrusion. Senate Bill 411 addresses these concerns with the creation of a new category of school. The bill provides for “Family-Led Educational eXperience” (FLEX) schools, which are essentially homeschools that access opportunities traditionally only available through public schools. Children who attend a FLEX school will be held to the same behavioral standards as other students while participating in extra-curricular activities, but families who continue to opt out of these activities will lose none of the autonomy they’ve enjoyed in the past. It really is the best of both worlds, in my opinion. The bill still needs to pass in the House of Representatives, but we’re on our way to providing more opportunities for families who choose to take charge of their children’s education.

Another measure advancing through the legislative process this week is House Bill 70. This legislation, which we heard in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee, expands the list of employees a school district may designate as a school protection officer. Under current law, a district may allow teachers and administrators with a valid concealed weapon permit to carry a firearm on school grounds. With passage of HB 70, a district could designate any school employee to serve as a protection officer. As chairman of the committee, I believed it was important to move the bill forward so we can bring greater security to vulnerable school environments.

Lastly, I was proud to welcome and introduce on the Senate floor firefighters and lineman from across the state who traveled to the State Capitol for advocacy events. Electric line workers converged on the Capitol Tuesday for Lineworker Appreciation Day. On Wednesday, firefighters gathered in the Rotunda to honor all the brave public servants who protect Missourians from fire. Both of these groups are unsung heroes, and I am proud to support them in all that they do to keep us safe.

Senator Travis Fitzwater serves residents of Callaway, Lincoln, Montgomery, Pike and a portion of St. Charles counties in the Missouri State Senate. For more information about Sen. Fitzwater, visit senate.mo.gov/Fitzwater.