Publications: SAC Legislative Bulletin

SAC Legislative Bulletin

March 31, 2006

SAC Legislative Bulletin

The official legislative newsletter for the School Administrators Coalition (SAC) which includes

MASA, MAESP, MASSP, MO-CASE, MUSIC, MO K-8, MARE, MSHSAA, & MAPT

For a complete listing of bill summaries that impact education go to
http://www.mcsa.org/reference

If you can not access this link, simply copy and paste the above address in your browser.

TUITION TAX CREDITS DELAYED;

VOTE COUNT REMAINS TIGHT

On Wednesday, HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479 was taken up for perfection and, immediately, placed on the House Informal Calendar for Perfection with no floor debate or action taken on the bill. There are multiple reasons why this could have happened including the possibility that proponents for the bill felt that they did not have enough votes to pass the bill. At any rate, the bill continues to be in position for consideration at any time the sponsor (Rep. Bearden) decides to take it up. Although the vote count continues to change somewhat from day to day, all vote lists show the vote is very close.

It is critical that school administrators continue to encourage the education community (teacher leaders, board members, PTA leaders, and community advocates for the public schools) to contact their state representative and urge him/her to oppose HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479. Numerous contacts need to be made with state representatives including as many parents and other community supporters as possible.

HCS for HBs 1783 and 1479 can only be defeated through continued grass roots contacts with state representatives. Please continue your strong efforts.

SCHOOL CHOICE

HB 1939 sponsored by Rep. Hunter was heard on Wednesday morning in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. HB 1939 would authorize open enrollment and school choice in Missouri public schools and would establish procedures for implementing open school choice enrollment by public school students. A summary of HB 1939 can be accessed by clicking on the reference link above.

The School Administrators Coalition (SAC) testified in opposition to HB 1939 for the following reasons:

1. In our current mobile culture, many students suffer from movement from school to school and the learning disruptions that accompany such learning environment changes. We think HB 1939 will encourage families to move their students from school to school even more often.

2. There are many reasons why students become unhappy with their school and teachers, especially, in the short term. HB 1939 will allow many families or students to make decisions to change schools when that is not in the students best interests.

3. Eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities for a student can be gained after only ninety days in a new school. In too many instances, this will lead to "recruiting" pressures being placed on high school youngsters to change schools to make the team better rather than to improve the learning opportunity for the student. (A substitute bill was introduced at the hearing which omitted this language. If an open enrollment bill is passed, however, SAC believes that pressure will build quickly from open enrollment students and their families to allow them to participate in extracurricular activities at their school of choice.)

4. In many rural areas of the state, providing transportation to an alternate public school would be neither timely nor economically efficient. In this regard, HB 1939 discriminates against rural students.

5. In some instances in this state, a transfer of several students could have an operational impact on the district of residence and could be a prerequisite to school consolidation.

6. Under the language of the bill, students transferring for "good cause" could be accepted until the third Friday in July. This provision could certainly create class size, instructional materials, and teacher assignment problems among other items for the receiving school district.

SUMMER SCHOOL PENALTY

SB 644 sponsored by Sen. Shields was heard in the House Special Committee on Student Achievement and Finance on March 28. The bill as passed by the Senate would phase out the penalty on summer school attendance as reliance on the old formula is phased out. Rep. Carl Bearden offered a House substitute which would reduce the minimum attendance threshold for summer school in 2006 as compared to summer school attendance in 2005 to avoid any penalty for summer school attendance to eighty percent. The substitute would set the minimum attendance threshold for summer school without penalty in 2007 at seventy percent and for 2008 and thereafter at sixty-five percent. The final attendance percentage of sixty-five percent of summer school attendance in 2005 contrasts sharply with SB 644 as passed by the Senate which would have phased out the minimum attendance threshold for summer school attendance without penalty completely by the time the new formula is fully phased in.

The penalties for summer school funding would apply to any excess reduction in summer school attendance below the minimum attendance percentages. Rep. Beardens substitute was adopted by the committee and HCS for SB 644 will now await debate by the full House of Representatives.

SCHOOL START DATE

The Senate Education Committee held an executive session on March 28 and considered SB 1114 sponsored by Sen. Goodman which would mandate that school start no earlier than the Friday before the last Monday in August unless the public approves by majority vote a petition to establish an earlier date. Sen. Shields offered a substitute to require the State Board of Education to annually adopt a target school start date. School districts would then have the option to adopt that start date or an alternative start date (earlier or later) upon providing the reasons for adopting a different date. The substitute was amended to state that one of the reasons for changing the start date by the local board of education could not be that additional preparation time is necessary for any academic assessment.

As amended SCS for SB 1114 was passed out of committee for consideration by the full Senate. While the substitute offered by Sen. Shields is a vast improvement to the original SB 1114, the School Administrators Coalition (SAC) feels strongly that the establishment of the school calendar including when to start school can best be determined by the local board of education.

MANDATORY SEATBELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES

The House Transportation Committee heard HB 1674 sponsored by Rep. Flook and Rep. Page on March 29. The bill would require school buses purchased or manufactured on or after January 1, 2007 to have three point shoulder harness seat belts for all occupants. The bill would also impose a surcharge on all moving traffic violations and use the funds to help districts that qualify for assistance to pay for the seat belts. The surcharge is estimated to produce between 3.5 and 4.0 million dollars annually. Representatives from the Missouri Association of Pupil Transportation (MAPT) testified on behalf of the SAC and stressed 1) the safety features of compartmentalization and 2) the high costs that would accompany a statutory mandate.

Although the fiscal note that accompanied HB 1674 lists the annual cost to general revenue as somewhere between a minimum of 7.4 million dollars per year and a maximum cost that is unknown and lists the annual costs to local school districts as somewhere between 1.4 million dollars and an amount that is unknown, considerable survey research by MAPT has estimated the annual cost to pay for a three point shoulder harness belt to be in excess of sixty million dollars per year.

SAC believes that the safety/cost ratio of mandating seat belts on school funds is an inefficient way of spending state dollars and that alternative measures for keeping students safe should be pursued.

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

On March 30, the House third read and passed HB 1275, sponsored by Rep. Brian Baker, which would authorize DESE to establish a virtual school program. The bill will now go to the Senate where a companion bill, SB 912 sponsored by Sen. Goodman, is on the Senate calendar awaiting Senate action.

In separate action, the Senate Budget Committee removed first year funding from HB 2 for the implementation of Virtual School legislation. Without funding, virtual schools could not be actualized even with the passage of HB 1275 or SB 912.

EMPLOYEE LIABILITY

The Special Committee on General Laws heard HB 1115, sponsored by Rep. Wallace, on March 28. The bill would expand immunity protections for school employees and volunteers to include all actions and decisions that comply with school board policies. In addition, the bill would allow employees to refuse to administer medication without fear of job loss when they are unqualified and would allow school districts to require employees to obtain appropriate training in order to administer medication.

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The Senate Education Committee met on March 28 and heard the following bills:

SB 790 sponsored by Sen. Clemens which would require public high school students to satisfactorily complete four one year-long courses in personal finance education. Sen. Clemens offered a substitute that would replace the four-year requirement with a two semester requirement. Just last session the General Assembly mandated a one semester course in personal finance education beginning with the 2010 graduating class.

SB 1164 sponsored by Sen. Graham would require teacher training programs to include instruction in the inclusion of children with special needs and instruction regarding the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process.