Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2720
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE DOUGLAS.
4232H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal section 167.031, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to
school attendance.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 167.031, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu
2 thereof, to be known as section 167.031, to read as follows:
167.031. 1. (1) (a) Every parent, guardian, or other person in this state having
2 char ge, control, or custody of a child is responsible for enrolling the child in a program of
3 academic instruction in a public, private, parochial, or parish school, [ home school, FPE
4 school, ] or full-time equivalent attendance in a combination of such schools [ between the
5 ages of seven years and ] when such child is at least five years of age but not older than the
6 compulsory attendance age for the district.
7 (b) Every par ent, guardian, or other person in this state having charge, contr ol,
8 or custody of a child who enr olls such child in a pro gram of academic instruction in a
9 home school or FPE school is res ponsible for enr olling such child in such home school or
10 FPE school when such child is at least seven years of age but not older than the
11 compulsory attendance age for the district.
12 (2) (a) Any parent, guardian, or other person who enrolls a child [ between the ages ]
13 of five [ and seven ] years of age or older in a public school program of academic instruction
14 shall cause such child to attend the academic program on a regular basis, according to this
15 section.
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
16 (b) Nonattendance by such child shall cause such parent, guardian, or other
17 responsible person to be in violation of the provisions of section 167.061, except as provided
18 by this section.
19 (3) A parent, guardian, or other person in this state having char ge, control, or custody
20 of a child [ between the ages of seven ] who is at least five years of age [ and ] but not older
21 than the compulsory attendance age for the district shall cause the child to attend regularly
22 some public, private, parochial, or parish school , [ home school, FPE school, ] or a
23 combination of such schools not less than the entire school term of the school that the child
24 attends; except that:
25 (a) A child who, to the satisfaction of the superintendent of public schools of the
26 district in which such child resides, or if there is no superintendent then the chief school
27 of ficer , is determined to be mentally or physically incapacitated may be excused from
28 attendance at school for the full time required, or any part thereof;
29 (b) A child between fourteen years of age and the compulsory attendance age for the
30 district may be excused from attendance at school for the full time required, or any part
31 thereof, by the superintendent of public schools of the district, or if there is none then by a
32 court of competent jurisdiction, when legal employment has been obtained by the child and
33 found to be desirable, and after the parents or guardian of the child have been advised of the
34 pending action; or
35 (c) [ A child between five and seven years of age shall be excused from attendance at
36 school if a parent, guardian, or other person having char ge, control, or custody of the child
37 makes a written request that the child be dropped from the school's rolls ; or
38 (d) ] A child may be excused from attendance at school for the full time required, or
39 any part thereof, if the child is unable to attend school due to mental or behavioral health
40 concerns, provided that the school receives documentation from a mental health professional
41 licensed under chapter 334 or 337 acting within his or her authorized scope of practice stating
42 that the child is not able to attend school due to such concerns.
43 2. Nothing in this section shall require a private, parochial, parish, home school, or
44 FPE school to include in its curriculum any concept, topic, or practice in conflict with the
45 school's religious doctrines or to exclude from its curriculum any concept, topic, or practice
46 consistent with the school's religious doctrines. Any other provision of the law to the contrary
47 notwithstanding, all departments or agencies of the state of Missouri shall be prohibited from
48 dictating through rule, regulation, or other device any statewide curriculum for private,
49 parochial, parish, home schools, or FPE schools.
50 3. A school year begins on the first day of July and ends on the thirtieth day of June
51 following.
HB 2720 2
52 4. (1) As used in this section, the term "compulsory attendance age for the district"
53 shall mean:
54 (a) Seventeen years of age for any metropolitan school district for which the school
55 board adopts a resolution to establish such compulsory attendance age; provided that such
56 resolution shall take effect no earlier than the school year next following the school year
57 during which the resolution is adopted; and
58 (b) Seventeen years of age or having successfully completed sixteen credits towards
59 high school graduation in all other cases.
60 (2) The school board of a metropolitan school district for which the compulsory
61 attendance age is seventeen years may adopt a resolution to lower the compulsory attendance
62 age to sixteen years; provided that such resolution shall take effect no earlier than the school
63 year next following the school year during which the resolution is adopted.
64 5. For purposes of home school or FPE school credits toward high school graduation,
65 as applied in subsection 4 of this section, a "completed credit towards high school graduation"
66 shall be defined as one hundred hours or more of instruction in a course.
✔
HB 2720 3