JEFFERSON CITY — With Memorial Day weekend marking the first unofficial week of summer, there is a whirlwind of activity. Schools are letting out. Local pools are filled with kids enjoying their time away from school.  Parents are busy preparing for family vacations. And some teachers are enjoying much needed and well-deserved time off. But, August is merely three months away, and it won’t be long before parents set out to buy school supplies and get ready to send their kids off to school once again.

This session, the legislature was dedicated to finding a fix to our troubled student transfer process. The result was Senate Bill 493, a bipartisan bill passed overwhelmingly by the Senate. Recently, the governor announced his plan to veto nearly 10 months of hard work. I am deeply saddened by the governor’s choice to veto of Senate Bill 493. The measure provides a path forward for Missouri’s children to receive a quality education close to home and tackles some of the challenges confronting school districts in the school transfer process. The bill also requires accountability for failing districts and represents the most far-reaching education measure in decades.

As legislators, one of the most important jobs we have is protecting education in this state.  We worked hard this session to ensure we were doing everything possible to help those failing school districts. The governor continues to offer no solution of his own, even after offering his thoughts on vetoing the bill. If the governor calls a special session on the student transfer issue, he can expect to see the same proactive piece of legislation on his desk.

The legislature also passed a bill that will benefit preschool children. House Bill 1689 will establish a funding mechanism for early childhood education. The measure approved by the General Assembly will provide funds to preschool children in unaccredited and provisionally accredited districts first. Once the foundation formula is fully funded, preschool children who are eligible for free and reduced lunch will also benefit from the bill. Preschool children will be able to receive a proper educational foundation, and teachers will be able to identify problem areas early in the education process.

Not only did we pass meaningful K-12 legislation this session, we also passed several bills that will advance higher education policy in Missouri. Senate Bill 492 will create a funding formula model that provides incentives for performance outcomes to determine state aid for public colleges and universities. This legislation will hold institutions accountable based on their performance and will give the institutions the ability to judge themselves to determine if they are meeting their goals. That performance level will be reflected in their state budget amounts.

House Bill 1389, also passed this session, allows Missouri to enter into reciprocity agreements regarding the delivery of online courses. Missouri will join other states, including several member states of the Midwest Higher Education Compact, as a participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). This voluntary program is open to both private and public institutions.

I am proud of the legislation my colleagues and I were able to get across the finish line this session. I sincerely hope that the work put into these bills doesn’t go to waste.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.