HCS HB 297 -- SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT CARDS (Pearce) Currently, school districts are required to produce an annual accountability report card for each school building, distribute copies to the households with students, and make copies available to other members of the public upon request. This substitute transfers the responsibility for producing the report card to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, specifying that there will be report cards for each district, each public school building in a district, and each charter school. The report card will be designed to satisfy federal and state statistical disclosure requirements about academic achievement, finances, staff, and other indicators. The substitute makes changes to the contents of the report card and clarifies existing requirements. The requirement to report participation rates in several programs and activities is removed. The report card must disclose each school that has been identified as a priority school under state law or as needing improvement or requiring specific improvement measures under federal law. Districts must provide the report card information by December 1, or as soon as it is ready, and give preference to distribution methods that will include the information with other important information, such as student report cards. FISCAL NOTE: No impact on state funds in FY 2006, FY 2007, and FY 2008.Copyright (c) Missouri House of Representatives