HCS HB 941 -- LAPSE OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS

SPONSOR:  Cunningham (86)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Education
by a vote of 26 to 0.

Currently, a school district that has achieved provisional
accreditation after having been declared unaccredited has no
limit on the amount of time it may remain provisionally
accredited.  This substitute requires the State Board of
Education to place a cap of no less than one and no more than two
full school years on these districts to regain full accreditation
or face lapse of district corporate structure.  The substitute
also makes changes to the hearing that is required to be held in
a district after it is declared unaccredited, by stating that the
hearing must be held no more than 60 days after the date the
district is declared unaccredited, by clarifying the purposes of
the hearing, and by prescribing the hearing location, timing, and
notice procedures.  A special administrative board, which may be
appointed by the state board to monitor unaccredited districts,
is also given standing to enjoin school board actions that might
result in wastage of assets.  The administrator of this board
must be a resident of the state or establish residency within 90
days of appointment.  The state board is given the option of
permitting a lapsed district to continue to operate under its
existing governance structure pursuant to the terms and
conditions the board establishes.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2005, FY 2006, and
FY 2007.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that unless procedures are changed,
unaccredited districts that have improved to provisional
accreditation can continue in provisionally accredited status or
go back and forth between unaccredited and provisionally
accredited status.  The bill also makes clearer the options that
can be used to help guide districts facing lapse.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Cunningham (86); and
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Becky DeNeve, Senior Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:14 am