CCS SCS HCS HB 297 -- ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

This bill changes the laws regarding elementary and secondary
education.

REPORT CARDS

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 bill 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.  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.

TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS

Currently, the definition of "teacher" for the purposes of tenure
includes certified teachers who teach at the pre-kindergarten
level.  The bill clarifies that these teachers must be teaching
in pre-kindergarten programs for which no fees are charged.  The
St. Louis City school superintendent's supervision of the
district schools is subject to policies established by the school
board, rather than subject to the control of the board, and the
permissible length of the superintendent's contract is raised.
Currently, the hiring of a treasurer, a commissioner of school
buildings, and a director of personnel is required.  The bill
makes the hiring of these positions permissive.  The requirement
that the district's teaching appointments and promotions be based
on merit is extended to all employee appointments and promotions.
The remaining references to principals are removed from the City
of St. Louis tenure statute.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Currently, when a school district participates in the Career
Ladder Program, it must match state funds on a sliding scale
based on the assessed valuation per eligible pupil.  The bill
permits any district that opted out of the program between July
1, 2001, and July 1, 2005, to rejoin by July 1, 2006, at the same
matching level it qualified for when it last participated in the
program.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:18 pm