Bob Nance Capitol Report June 4th

This is Representative Bob Nance's R-36 most recent Capitol Report. Lots of education stuff below in this one.

“Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. “ Edward Everett

In the District

We are still in the process of working with all appropriate entities of government to try to solve flooding in Orrick. This includes both the north and south areas of 210 highway.

A fundraiser for the Orrick Community Center is this Sunday from 11- 2. A “free will” donation will be accepted for the Ribs and Burger luncheon. Funds go toward the operation of the center.

Education

HCS #2 SB291 passed in the last days of session and is on the Governors desk. It deals with many aspects of education. Some of its component allows:·

GENERAL ELECTION DAY IN NOVEMBER 2009: This act provides that the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2009 will be a general election day for the purpose of allowing school districts to incur debt. ·

STUDY ON OPEN ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS: The Joint Committee on Education must study the issue of open enrollment of public school students across school district boundary lines. It must submit a report of its findings, and any recommendations for legislative action to the General Assembly, by December 31, 2009. ·

USE OF SECLUSION ROOMS: This act requires school district discipline policies to prohibit confining a student in an unattended, locked space except for an emergency situation while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement personnel. ·

MISSOURI SENIOR CADETS PROGRAM: This act creates the Missouri Senior Cadets Program, which will provide opportunities for twelfth graders in public school to mentor kindergarten through eighth grade students as described in the act. ·

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will commission a study comparing the performance of charter school students with an equivalent group of district students representing an equivalent demographic and geographic population that will be conducted by the Joint Committee on Education. ·

SCHOOL FLEX PROGRAM, COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE & HOME SCHOOLS: This act establishes the School Flex Program to allow eligible students to pursue a timely graduation from high school. The program is available for eleventh and twelfth graders who have been identified by their principal and parent or guardian. ·

This act also changes the requirement for compulsory attendance age for school districts. Current law defines the compulsory attendance age as sixteen. This act changes that to seventeen years or age or successful completion of sixteen credits toward high school graduation. In addition, for purposes of home schooling, this act defines a completed credit towards high school graduation as one hundred hours or more of instruction in a course. ·

P-20 COUNCIL: This act allows the Governor to establish the "P-20 Council" as a private-not-for profit corporation on behalf of the state. The purpose of the P-20 Council will be to create a more efficient and effective education system to more adequately prepare students for entering the workforce and will be reflected in the articles of incorporation and bylaws. ·

PERSISTENCE TO GRADUATION FUND: This act creates the Persistence to Graduation Fund. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will establish a procedure for school districts to apply for grants to implement drop-out prevention strategies. ·

TEACHING STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Each public school must develop standards for teaching by June 30, 2010, including charter schools operated by the board of a school district. ·

VOLUNTEER AND PARENTS INCENTIVE PROGRAM: This act creates the Volunteer and Parents Incentive Program, to be implemented and administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Under the program, the Department will provide a reimbursement to parents or volunteers who donate time at certain schools. The provisions of this section will expire in six years unless reauthorized. ·

PARENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS: This act requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to produce "The Parents' Bill of Rights," to inform parents of children with an individualized education program of their educational rights under federal and state law by January 1, 2010. ·

SCHOOL DISTRICT RECORDS: This act allows school districts to maintain permanent records in a digital or electronic format. School districts must follow the manufacturer's guidelines, suggestions, and recommendations when using digital or electronic storage media and must not use them beyond the manufacturer suggested or recommended period of time. ·

CHANGE IN SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARY LINES: Under current law, when a board of arbitration is appointed to determine whether to modify the boundary lines between school districts, the board must base its decision, in part, on the presence of actual educational harm to children, due to a significant difference in time involved in transporting them. ·

MISSOURI PRESCHOOL PLUS GRANT PROGRAM: This act creates the Missouri Preschool Plus Grant Program as a pilot program within the Missouri Preschool Project. ·

VIRTUAL COURSES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS: This act provides that school districts that offer virtual courses to resident students who are enrolled in the school district shall receive state school funding. ·

EDUCATION FUNDING: This act modifies the elementary and secondary education funding formula. It removes from the calculation of the state adequacy target the inclusion of the gaming revenues from the repeal of the loss limits. This becomes effective July 1, 2009. ·

Beginning on July 1, 2010, the moneys derived from the passage of Proposition A will be deposited into the Classroom Trust Fund and distributed to school districts in that manner. ·

This act eliminates, after the 2008-2009 school year, the penalty on a school district that experiences a decrease in summer school average daily attendance of more than 35% from the 2005-2006 summer school average daily attendance. This becomes effective July 1, 2009. ·

FOSTER CARE EDUCATION BILL OF RIGHTS: This act establishes the "Foster Care Education Bill of Rights." Each school district must designate a staff person to be an educational liaison for foster care children. This liaison would assist with proper educational placements, transferring between schools, ensuring transfer of grades and credits, requesting school records, and submitting school records that have been requested. ·

A child placing agency will promote educational stability for foster care children when making placements. A foster care child may continue to attend his or her school of origin pending resolution of a dispute.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS: Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, school districts must ensure that students in elementary schools participate in moderate physical activity, as described in the act, for the entire school year for an average of 150 minutes per week, or thirty minutes per day. Students with disabilities must participate to the extent appropriate. Middle school students may, at the school's discretion, participate in at least 225 minutes of physical activity per week.

Elementary school students must be provided a minimum of one recess period of twenty minutes per day, which may be incorporated into the lunch period.

TEACHER CERTIFICATION: This act creates a method of obtaining teacher certification from the State Board of Education for individuals to teach in the areas of banking or financial responsibility.

EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND CHECKS AND FINGERPRINT RECORDS: An employee background check and fingerprint record is good for one year and transferable from district to district or to a private or parochial school. A teacher's change in certification will not affect the transferability of records.

FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK: This act allows school boards to establish a four-day school week instead of a five-day school week by the adoption a resolution by a majority vote of board members.

SCHOOL MAKE-UP DAYS RESULTING FROM INCLEMENT WEATHER: Current law requires school districts to make up the first six days of school lost or canceled due to inclement weather and half the number of days lost or canceled in excess of six days. This act creates an exception for the 2008-2009 school year and subsequent school years. School districts may only have to make up a total of ten school days.

This provision is substantially similar to a provision contained in HCS/SB 559 (2009) and HCS/SB 79 (2009) and is similar to HB 682 (2009). (Section 171.033)

SCHOOL BOARDS AND AGREEMENTS WITH CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS: This act authorizes any school board to enter into an agreement with the county in which the school district is located, or a city, town, or village that is wholly or partially located within the boundaries of the school district to acquire, construct, improve, extend, repair, remodel, or finance sites, buildings, facilities, furnishings, and equipment for the school district's educational purposes. An agreement may provide for the present or future acquisition of an ownership in the facilities, including joint ventures.

In your service
Bob Nance