CCS HS HCS SCS SB 686 -- EDUCATION

SCHOOL DISTRICT FISCAL PROCEDURES

In years in which the basic school funding formula moneys are 96%
or less of the Fiscal Year 2002 level, the bill sets aside
certificated salary compliance requirements if a district has an
unrestricted fund balance of 17% or less of its last year's
expenditures from those funds and also provides another method of
waiver pertaining to any district that has a property owner who
is delinquent with the taxes on property that by itself
constitutes at least 10% of the district's assessed valuation
under certain circumstances.  The bill permits districts to
transfer unrestricted balances in the capital projects fund to
the incidental fund when the balances in the combined teachers
and incidental funds fall below 10% of the expenditures from
those funds.  The bill deletes the requirement that for certain
lease-purchases a levy be set to collect revenues equal to or
greater than the amount of expenditure and makes a change in the
calculation of the limit on the transfer of moneys from the
incidental fund to the capital projects fund, requiring that
capital instructional outlay be subtracted from the district's
limit and that projects funded directly by the district be
identified in the board resolution authorizing the transfer.
Transfers from the incidental fund to capital projects funds are
permitted for three districts for specific projects, and a method
of transferring money between funds is established for certain
districts that have issued qualified zone academy bonds without
setting a levy in the debt service fund.  Procedures are created
to permit districts meeting certain requirements to refinance
their lease-purchase obligations.  This portion of the bill has
an emergency clause.

SCHOOL DISTRICT BIDS AND CONTRACTS

The threshold for the requirement to advertise for bids for
certain construction-related school district projects is raised
from $12,500 to $15,000, and the number of advertisements and
methods of advertisement are clarified.  The bill grants to
school districts the ability to designate service agencies to
deliver educational services and programs to one or more
districts.  School districts that participate in aggregate
purchasing arrangements for gas cannot be required to be
responsible for pipeline capacity charges for longer than other
large industrial or commercial basic transportation customers,
unless it is by mutual agreement; and the Public Service
Commission must treat the gas corporation's pipeline capacity
costs for schools in the same manner as other large industrial
and commercial basic transportation customers.

OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT PROCEDURES

The restriction on the opening date for the school year is
eliminated.  Arbitration standards are created for school
district boundary election disputes.  The standards include the
consideration of educational necessity and specifically disallow
consideration of commercial benefits to landowners.  School
districts may hire a board member's spouse under certain
conditions.  The prohibition against school employees and persons
related within the second degree to school employees in the City
of St. Louis school district running for the school board is
repealed.

OTHER PROVISIONS

School districts and other political subdivisions that suffered
weather-related damage in April and May of 2003 may hold an
August primary to incur bonded indebtedness to replace and repair
damaged buildings.  This portion of the bill has an emergency
clause.  School districts currently are required to hold
elections when the number of candidates equals the number of open
seats, which the bill eliminates.

Public higher education institutions must provide information on
vaccinations for meningococcal disease to students who live in
on-campus housing.

The Board of Therapeutic Massage may prescribe licensure rules
that include requirements for clock hours of instruction at
vocational-technical schools.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:13 am