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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENA TE BILL NO. 1351
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
3832H.03C JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal sections 162.481 and 162.821, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof ten new sections
relating to elementary and secondary education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 162.481 and 162.821, RSMo, are repealed and ten new sections
2 enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 160.068, 160.524, 161.355, 162.192, 162.481,
3 162.821, 167.1001, 170.027, 186.085, and 186.095, to read as follows:
160.068. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Student
2 Scr een-T ime Standards Act".
3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
4 (1) "Instructional technology", a laptop, tablet, computer , Chr omebook, smart
5 device, software platform, or other similar device or platform used for student learning;
6 (2) "Manipulatives", hands-on physical learning items including, but not limited
7 to, blocks, counters, cubes, rulers, cards, science materials, and similar educational
8 tools;
9 (3) "T raditional materials", printed books, paper -based workbooks, notebooks,
10 handwriting materials, and physical educational res our ces.
11 3. For elementary school students in kindergarten thr ough grade five, each
12 school district and charter school shall adopt a written scr een time and instructional
13 technology policy consistent with this section to pr omote the educational inter ests of
14 students, preven t the harmful effects of scr een time on child development, ensur e that
15 technology supports rather than supplants foundational learning, and r estore evidence-
16 based practices. The scr een time and instructional technology policy shall establish the
17 following:
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.
18 (1) Limits and r estrictions on student scr een time and student use of
19 instructional technology during the school day;
20 (2) Limits and r estrictions on school district- or charter school-issued devices or
21 school district or charter school educational technology being used outside the school
22 day;
23 (3) Limits and re strictions on student access to internet-connected instructional
24 technology;
25 (4) The digital platforms used;
26 (5) Standards and requ irem ents for student use of manipulatives and traditional
27 materials;
28 (6) The pro cess for a par ent or guardian to obtain information rega rding his or
29 her child's scr een time and instructional technology use and the pr ocess for a par ent or
30 guardian to limit or eliminate his or her child's scr een time and instructional technology
31 use; and
32 (7) The re sear ch, evidence, and information upon which the policy is based.
33 4. In creat ing the policy , the district or charter school shall consider and
34 document r esear ch on best practices in literacy instruction, instructional technology ,
35 and assessment and the optimal rol e for the use of handwriting and cursive writing in
36 pr omoting literacy for all students.
37 5. Each elementary school shall notify par ents and guardians annually of the
38 policy adopted under subsection 3 of this section. Par ents and guardians of students in
39 grades kindergarten thr ough five may , upon r equest, receiv e information about their
40 child's login time and use of district-prov ided instructional technology and online
41 learning platforms. The district or charter school shall pr ovide such available
42 information within a reas onable time and at no cost to the par ent or guardian.
43 6. Each elementary school shall publish such policy on such school's website.
44 7. Each policy adopted under subsection 3 of this section shall be periodically
45 updated, including incorporating the best practices re commendations fro m the
46 r ecommended model school board policy on scre en time and use of technology in
47 instruction fr om the framework on classr oom use of scr eens (FOCUS) council creat ed
48 under section 186.095, when such recomm endations become available.
49 8. This section shall be implemented befor e the end of the 2027-28 school year
50 and shall apply for all subsequent school years.
51 9. This section shall not apply to virtual instruction pr ograms operating under
52 the pro visions of section 161.670.
160.524. 1. (1) The state board of education shall develop an annual school
2 accountability rep ort card for each public school district, public school, and public
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3 charter school in the state for the purpose of prov iding information about school
4 performance in accordance with the prov isions of this section. In addition to pr oviding
5 information about student performance, the repo rt card shall be designed to satisfy
6 federal repo rting requ irem ents for the disclosure of information about students, staff,
7 finances, and other data.
8 (2) Each school accountability r eport card shall be designed in a standardized,
9 clear , and easily accessible form so that the accountability rep ort card can be easily
10 understood by par ents, taxpayers, school personnel, legislators, and the media and shall
11 include a summary intended for paren ts and guardians that:
12 (a) Explains the school's performance level and underlying indicators in
13 nontechnical terms;
14 (b) Identifies areas of str ength and areas in need of improvement;
15 (c) Highlights year -to-year progr ess, including student academic gro wth; and
16 (d) Pr ovides information on how families may engage with the school to support
17 student learning.
18
19 The plain-language summary shall include a clear explanation of student academic
20 gr owth and how the school's grow th compares to the state's expectations.
21 2. The state board of education shall assign the duties of implementing the
22 pr ovisions of this section to the department of elementary and secondary education or
23 may contract with a private entity in accordance with the pr ovisions of chapter 34.
24 3. (1) The state board of education shall prov ide an embargoed version of the
25 school accountability repo rt cards for the pr evious school year to each public school
26 district, public school, and public charter school by September fifteenth of each year .
27 (2) The state board of education shall pro vide an appeals pr ocess and criteria for
28 an appeal of information in the school accountability report card.
29 (3) Befor e October thirty-first of each year , each public school district, public
30 school, and public charter school shall publish in a clear and easily accessible location
31 on its website the district and school accountability rep ort cards including each
32 underlying indicator that is used to derive the performance rating and the rates of pupil
33 attendance fr om the previ ous school year .
34 4. The state board of education shall assign each public school district, public
35 school, and public charter school one of the following ratings, which shall be based on a
36 zer o-to-one-hundred scale:
37 (1) "A" for those districts and schools prod ucing excellent student outcomes;
38 (2) "B" for those districts and schools prod ucing mor e-than-satisfactory student
39 outcomes;
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40 (3) "C" for those districts and schools prod ucing satisfactory student outcomes;
41 (4) "D" for those districts and schools pr oducing less-than-satisfactory student
42 outcomes; and
43 (5) "F" for those districts and schools failing to pr oduce adequate student
44 outcomes.
45 5. (1) The state board of education shall assign each public school district,
46 public school, and public charter school an overall performance rating of "A", "B",
47 "C", "D", or "F", derived fr om multiple measur es of school performance as pr ovided
48 in this section.
49 (2) The benchmark for excellent student outcomes or an "A" rating shall be the
50 top decile of the composite scor e of the measur es outlined in subsection 8 of this section.
51 (3) A public school district, public school, or public charter school that does not
52 test at least ninety-five percen t of its students shall have assessment participation rates
53 r eported separately and clearly identified on the school accountability r eport card.
54 Assessment participation rates shall not res ult in an automatic red uction of the district's
55 or school's performance level but shall be included to pro vide transparen cy and context
56 for paren ts and the public.
57 6. (1) There is her eby creat ed the "Show Me Success Pr ogram" to prov ide
58 additional funding, subject to appr opriation, to public schools and public charter
59 schools that demonstrate stron g student academic gr owth, sustained improv ement over
60 time, or success in closing achievement gaps, as determined by the department of
61 elementary and secondary education.
62 (2) Subject to appr opriations, the department may award performance-based
63 funding to eligible public schools and public charter schools based on one or mor e of the
64 following criteria:
65 (a) Student academic gro wth above the state average, including value-added
66 gr owth and growth to proficien cy;
67 (b) Demonstrated improve ment in student outcomes over multiple years;
68 (c) Significant improv ement among historically underserved student gr oups;
69 (d) High levels of student r eadiness for postsecondary education, training, or
70 employment; or
71 (e) Demonstrated impro vement in early literacy outcomes, including gr owth in
72 r eading achievement for students in kindergarten thr ough grade thr ee, as measur ed by
73 multiple indicators of r eading development and prog res s over time.
74 (3) The department shall establish, by rule, the methodology for determining
75 eligibility , award amounts, and distribution of funds under this subsection.
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76 (4) No school or charter school shall be guaranteed funding under this
77 subsection, and awards shall be made only to the extent that funds ar e appr opriated by
78 the general assembly .
79 (5) Moneys shall be distributed to the school's fiscal agent befor e December first
80 of each year , and one hundre d perce nt of the moneys receiv ed shall be placed in the
81 school's classr oom incidental fund to be used in a manner determined by the governing
82 body of the district or charter school to promot e teacher recru itment and reten tion.
83 7. (1) The department shall develop a criteria-r efer enced growth measur e,
84 called "gr owth to proficien cy", in addition to the existing normative value-added
85 gr owth measur e.
86 (2) Gr owth to pr oficiency shall evaluate for each student with two consecutive
87 years of Missouri assessment progra m performance levels whether that student has
88 made sufficient pr ogress to put them on a trajectory to rea ch or exceed grade-level
89 within thr ee years or by the end of grade ten, whichever comes first.
90 8. The rating under subsection 4 of this section for a public school district, public
91 school, or public charter school shall be based on the following factors:
92 (1) Student academic achievement level, calculated as the per centage of students
93 pr oficient or higher on re quir ed English language arts, math, and science assessments
94 thr ough the Missouri assessment prog ram;
95 (2) Student academic growth in English language arts, math, and science using a
96 gr owth to proficien cy metric and a value-added gro wth metric of:
97 (a) All students; and
98 (b) The lowest-performing quartile of students; and
99 (3) For high schools:
100 (a) The student four -year graduation rate; and
101 (b) A "Success-Ready Graduate" measur e, calculated by the department of
102 elementary and secondary education, which shall include the number of students
103 graduating with merit or distinction and which shall include consideration of:
104 a. Advanced placement examinations upon which students achieve a scor e of
105 thr ee or higher;
106 b. International baccalaur eate examinations for an international baccalaureate
107 diploma pro gramme course upon which students achieve a scor e of four or higher;
108 c. Dual enro llment in core subjects with a "C" course grade or higher;
109 d. Earning an industry-r ecognized crede ntial or care er technical education
110 certificate r elated to an occupation that is high wage, high demand;
111 e. Completion of an early bachelor's or associate degr ee; and
112 f. Completion of stackable cred entials.
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113 9. The rating assigned under subsection 4 of this section for elementary and
114 middle schools shall be based on overall student academic achievement level, value-
115 added gro wth, and gr owth to pr oficiency as follows:
116 (1) Academic achievement level, value-added academic gro wth, and growth to
117 pr oficiency shall be calculated and reported separately for English language arts,
118 literacy , math, and science; and
119 (2) As a portion of the rating assigned:
120 (a) Academic achievement level shall repr esent forty per cent of the rating;
121 (b) V alue-added gr owth shall rep res ent thirty per cent of the rating; and
122 (c) Gr owth to pro ficiency shall r epresent thirty per cent of the rating.
123 10. At least seventy-five per cent of the rating assigned under subsection 4 of this
124 section for high schools shall be based on overall student academic achievement level,
125 value-added gr owth, and growth to proficien cy as follows:
126 (1) Academic achievement level, value-added academic gro wth, and growth to
127 pr oficiency shall be calculated and repor ted separately for English language arts, math,
128 and science; and
129 (2) As a portion of the rating assigned:
130 (a) Academic achievement level shall re present twenty-five per cent of the rating;
131 (b) V alue-added gr owth shall rep res ent twenty-five percen t of the rating;
132 (c) Gr owth to pro ficiency shall r epresent twenty-five perce nt of the rating;
133 (d) The success-r eady graduate measur e shall repr esent fifteen percen t of the
134 rating; and
135 (e) The student four -year graduation rate shall rep rese nt ten percen t of the
136 rating.
137 1 1. Public school districts, public schools, and public charter schools shall
138 annually re port for high schools the number of graduates who within six months of
139 graduation attend postsecondary education or training pr ograms, serve in the military ,
140 serve in national or community service, ar e employed in the farming or ranching
141 industry , or ar e employed in a living-wage car eer as determined by a governmental
142 agency or nongovernmental organization with expertise in living-wage calculation.
143 12. For public school districts, the annual school accountability report card
144 rating shall be calculated following the same method used for calculating a school report
145 except at the district level.
146 13. The state board of education shall provi de a statewide r eport card that
147 pr ovides the following:
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148 (1) The percen tages of Missouri students annually attending schools rated "A",
149 "B", "C", "D", or "F", with the objective of incre asing the percen tage of students
150 attending mor e highly rated schools each year; and
151 (2) The performance of Missouri students on state assessments rel ative to the
152 National Assessment of Educational Pro gr ess (NAEP), with the objective that
1 5 3 pr oficiency rates on both assessments be reas onably aligned.
154 14. For the purposes of this section, the development and publication of an
155 annual school accountability rep ort card shall not be r equir ed for any special school
156 district or state-operated school in which all of the students enr olled ar e students with
157 disabilities.
161.355. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Media Literacy
2 and Critical Thinking Act".
3 2. As used in this section, "media literacy" means the following:
4 (1) An individual's ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and participate with all
5 forms of media, such as:
6 (a) News in print; and
7 (b) Social media content, such as images, text, video, and other media content;
8 (2) An individual's ability to r ecognize bias and ster eotypes in media messages;
9 (3) The foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safety; and
10 (4) In the classro om, media literacy includes integrating the pro cess of critical
11 analysis of media messages into the daily classr oom curricula.
12 3. The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish the
13 "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Pilot Pr ogram". Such pilot pr ogram shall be
14 implemented and administer ed during the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.
15 4. Under the media literacy and critical thinking pilot pr ogram, the department
16 of elementary and secondary education shall select five to seven diverse school districts
17 to participate in the pilot pr ogram and fro m which to study data relat ed to the outcomes
18 of the pilot prog ram in such school districts.
19 5. A pilot pr ogram site shall:
20 (1) Addr ess each component of media literacy;
21 (2) Develop successful strategies for student learning within the daily classr oom
22 curricula in all grades or for a selected prescho ol to grade twelve level;
23 (3) Identify high-quality r esources for such pilot pro gram; and
24 (4) Demonstrate and repo rt how such site addr esses the following in the
25 classr oom:
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26 (a) News content literacy , which is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and
27 distinguish verified information fr om opinion and propa ganda and the opportunity to
28 practice verification;
29 (b) V isual literacy , which is the ability to find, interpret , and evaluate images and
30 visual media such as photographs, videos, illustrations, drawings, maps, diagrams, and
31 advertisements;
32 (c) Digital fluency , which is the ability to understand and follow the norms of
33 safe and res ponsible technology use and how media influences attitudes and behaviors;
34 and
35 (d) Digital literacy , which is the ability to be technically fluent and able to make
36 informed decisions about content encounter ed online, rec ognize how networked
37 technology affects behavior and percep tion, and creat e and effectively communicate
38 with digital media tools.
39 6. The guidelines developed as a res ult of the study of the information gained
40 fr om the pilot prog ram shall pro vide students with the following information:
41 (1) The purpose and acceptable use of various social media platforms;
42 (2) Social media behavior that ensur es cybersafety , cybersecurity , and cyber
43 ethics;
44 (3) The potential negative consequences of failing to use various social media
45 platforms res ponsibly , such as cyberbullying;
46 (4) The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, crea te, and act on all forms of digital
47 and written communications;
48 (5) Digital ethics, etiquette, res pectful discourse with individuals who have
49 differing opinions, safety , security , digital footprints, and the identification of rhetoric
50 that incites violence;
51 (6) Cyberbullying preven tion and r esponse;
52 (7) The significance of algorithms;
53 (8) W ays to identify online misinformation;
54 (9) A general knowledge of the economic structur e of the digital landscape; and
55 (10) The importance of the right to fr eedom of speech as contained in the Bill of
56 Rights of the Constitution of the United States including, but not limited to:
57 (a) The central role that the right to fre edom of speech has in the history of the
58 United States; and
59 (b) The applicability of pro tections for fr eedom of speech for online interaction
60 in school settings that the department of elementary and secondary education shall
61 pr ovide to school districts.
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62 7. The guidelines developed as a res ult of the study of the information gained
63 fr om the pilot progra m shall pro vide school districts with samples of learning activities,
64 r esources , and training that pr omote critical thinking and the skills necessary to
65 evaluate all forms of media.
66 8. Befor e August 1, 2029, each pilot pr ogram site shall submit a rep ort to the
67 department of elementary and secondary education describing the implementation of
68 and the information gained fr om the pilot pr ogram.
69 9. Befor e January 1, 2030, the department of elementary and secondary
70 education shall compile the r eports submitted fr om the pilot prog ram sites and submit a
71 summary report to the general assembly containing at least the following information:
72 (1) Qualitative and quantitative insights on how the pilot pro gram sites
73 addr essed media literacy;
74 (2) A compendium of high-quality strategies and res our ces used by educators;
75 (3) Any profes sional development used or re quir ed;
76 (4) Recommendations about what facilities, instructional materials, and
77 technologies are needed to implement a media literacy and critical thinking pr ogram
78 statewide;
79 (5) Exploration of additional policies, administrative mechanisms, and legislative
80 r ecommendations for implementing best practices and standards statewide; and
81 (6) A draft of pro posed clear , inclusive media literacy and critical thinking state
82 standards for pr eschool to grade twelve, compiled by drawing fr om key media literacy
83 skills and competencies in existing state standards and fr om the pilot pr ogram r esults.
84 10. Standards developed under this section shall be included for consideration
85 by the department of elementary and secondary education during the state standards
86 r eview immediately following the termination of the pilot pr ogram.
87 1 1. The media literacy and critical thinking pilot prog ram shall terminate on
88 June 30, 2029.
89 12. This section shall expir e on December 31, 2029.
162.192. 1. For purposes of this section, "financial ledger" means a sear chable,
2 machine-r eadable, publicly accessible database maintained by a school district or
3 charter school that:
4 (1) Sets forth all financial transactions conducted with school district or charter
5 school funds, including, but not limited to, the school funds established pursuant to
6 section 165.01 1;
7 (2) Is available without login cr edentials, registra tion, or fees;
8 (3) Is downloadable and exportable in formats including, but not limited to,
9 comma-separated values (CSV) format and Micr osoft Excel format;
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10 (4) Records all transactions using Missouri financial accounting manual
11 classification categories, as applicable; and
12 (5) Includes the following minimum requ ired data fields for each financial
13 transaction, and is sear chable and filterable by such fields, at minimum:
14 (a) T ransaction date;
15 (b) T ransaction amount;
16 (c) Revenue or expenditure designation;
17 (d) Fund code;
18 (e) Function code;
19 (f) Object code;
20 (g) V endor or payee name; and
21 (h) Description or memo field.
22 2. Notwithstanding any prov ision of law to the contrary , each school district and
23 charter school shall maintain a financial ledger on its publicly accessible website. The
24 homepage of each public or charter school's website shall include a direct link to the
25 financial ledger of the school district or charter school that has oversight res ponsibility
26 for that public or charter school. The link shall make the financial ledger accessible
27 within one click, shall be clearly labeled as a link to the school district's or charter
28 school's financial ledger , and shall be functional and mobile-r esponsive. The
29 department may prov ide standardized language or icons that public and charter
30 schools may use for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this subsection.
31 3. A school district's or charter school's financial ledger shall be updated at least
32 monthly . Details of each calendar month's financial transactions shall be posted no later
33 than forty-five days after the close of that calendar month.
34 4. For historical r ecord keeping purposes, a school district or charter school
35 shall maintain complete financial ledger data on its publicly accessible website for no
36 fewer than five prior fiscal years.
37 5. A school district or charter school may redact pro tected personal information
38 on the financial ledger only to the extent requ ired by applicable law . V endor names,
39 amounts, and accounting codes shall not be red acted. Payroll data may be present ed in
40 aggr egated form wher e disclosur e of individual information is res tricted.
41 6. Debt obligations shall be posted in a separate section of the financial ledger ,
42 with disclosur e of the following information:
43 (1) Outstanding debt balances;
44 (2) Issuance dates;
45 (3) Repayment schedules;
46 (4) Annual debt service amounts; and
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47 (5) Debt service as a percen tage of total expenditures .
48 7. The department may pro vide or appr ove standardized templates or platforms
49 a school district or charter school may use to comply with the pro visions of this section.
50 A school district or charter school may use a third-party template or platform that is
51 appr oved by the department.
52 8. The department may prov ide guidance to assist school districts and charter
53 schools in complying with the provi sions of this section. Such guidance may include:
54 (1) High-level expenditur e summaries by classification category under the
55 Missouri financial accounting manual;
56 (2) Standardized definitions of terms to be used in the financial ledger; and
57 (3) Clear explanations of methodology and limitations applicable to the
58 compilation and pr esentation of financial ledger data.
59 9. School districts and charter schools shall annually certify compliance with this
60 section to the department. The department shall pr omulgate rules establishing
61 pr ocedur es and timelines for school districts and charter schools to certify compliance.
62 10. If the department finds that any school district or charter school has violated
63 a prov ision of this section, the department may withhold up to five per cent of the state
64 aid to which the school district or charter school is entitled under chapter 160 or 163 for
65 the curren t school year until the school district or charter school pr oves to the
66 satisfaction of the department that the school district or charter school is no longer in
67 violation of this section.
68 1 1. The department shall establish a pr ocess for members of the public to file
69 complaints with the department if they believe a school district or charter school has
70 violated any pr ovision of this section. The department may establish a public
71 compliance dashboard on the department's website to enable members of the public to
72 check whether a particular school district or charter school is certified as in compliance
73 with the pr ovisions of this section.
74 12. The department shall pr omulgate rules to implement the provi sions of this
75 section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is
76 cr eated under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it
77 complies with and is subject to all of the pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable,
78 section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers
79 vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to revi ew , to delay the
80 effective date, or to disappr ove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional,
81 then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule pro posed or adopted after August
82 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
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162.481. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section and sections 162.492 and
2 162.563, all elections of school directors in urban school districts shall be held biennially at
3 the same times and places as municipal elections.
4 2. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 3, 4, [ and ] 5 , and 7 of this section,
5 hereafter when a seven-director district becomes an urban school district, the directors of the
6 prior seven-director district shall continue as directors of the urban school district until the
7 expiration of the terms for which they were elected and until their successors are elected as
8 provided in this subsection. The first biennial school election for directors shall be held in the
9 urban school district at the time provided in subsection 1 which is on the date of or
10 subsequent to the expiration of the terms of the directors of the prior district which are first to
11 expire, and directors shall be elected to succeed the directors of the prior district whose terms
12 have expired. If the terms of two directors only have expired, the directors elected at the first
13 biennial school election in the urban school district shall be elected for terms of six years. If
14 the terms of four directors have expired, two directors shall be elected for terms of six years
15 and two shall be elected for terms of four years. At the next succeeding biennial election held
16 in the urban school district, successors for the remaining directors of the prior seven-director
17 district shall be elected. If only two directors are to be elected they shall be elected for terms
18 of six years each. If four directors are to be elected, two shall be elected for terms of six years
19 and two shall be elected for terms of two years. After seven directors of the urban school
20 district have been elected under this subsection, their successors shall be elected for terms of
21 six years.
22 3. In any school district in which a majority of the district is located in any home rule
23 city with more than one hundred fifty-five thousand but fewer than two hundred thousand
24 inhabitants, elections shall be held annually at the same times and places as general municipal
25 elections for all years where one or more terms expire, and the terms shall be for three years
26 and until their successors are duly elected and qualified for all directors elected on and after
27 August 28, 1998.
28 4. For any school district which becomes an urban school district by reason of the
29 2000 federal decennial census, elections shall be held annually at the same times and places
30 as general municipal elections for all years where one or more terms expire, and the terms
31 shall be for three years and until their successors are duly elected and qualified for all
32 directors elected on and after August 28, 2001.
33 5. In any school district in any county with a charter form of government and with
34 more than three hundred thousand but fewer than four hundred fifty thousand inhabitants
35 which becomes an urban school district by reason of the 2010 federal decennial census,
36 elections shall be held annually at the same times and places as general municipal elections
37 for all years where one or more terms expire, and the terms shall be for three years and until
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38 their successors are duly elected and qualified for all directors elected on and after April 2,
39 2012.
40 6. In any urban school district in a county of the first classification with more than
41 eighty-three thousand but fewer than ninety-two thousand inhabitants and with a home rule
42 city with more than seventy-six thousand but fewer than ninety-one thousand inhabitants as
43 the county seat, elections shall be held annually at the same times and places as general
44 municipal elections for all years where one or more terms expire, and upon expiration of any
45 term after August 28, 2015, the term of of fice shall be for three years and until their
46 successors are duly elected and qualified.
47 7. In any school district in which a majority of the district is located in a city
48 with mor e than one hundred five thousand but fewer than one hundred twenty-five
49 thousand inhabitants, elections shall be held annually at the same times and places as
50 general municipal elections for all years wher e one or mor e terms expir e, and upon the
51 expiration of any term after August 28, 2026, the term of office shall be for thr ee years
52 and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
162.821. The district secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all annual
2 and special elections of the voters of the district and of the proceedings of the board of
3 education. He shall make copies of the election notices, contracts with teachers, certificates
4 and all other papers relating to the business of the district, and securely keep the same. He
5 shall maintain a correct plat of the district and shall promptly notify the department of
6 elementary and secondary education and the county clerk of each county af fected of all
7 changes in the boundaries of the district. He shall transmit to the county commission and to
8 the state department of elementary and secondary education, on or before the fifteenth day of
9 August in each year , a report embracing the following items:
10 (1) The number of children, male and female, attending the public schools during the
11 year;
12 (2) T otal number of days' attendance by all such children;
13 (3) The number of days the public schools of the district have been maintained during
14 the school year;
15 (4) The number of teachers employed, male and female, and the wages per month of
16 each;
17 (5) Estimated value of school property owned and managed by the district;
18 (6) Assessed valuation of the district;
19 (7) Rate of school tax on the assessed valuation of the district;
20 (8) Cash on hand at the beginning of the year;
21 (9) T uition fees received and credited to the teachers' fund of the district;
22 (10) Public funds received by county treasurer;
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23 (1 1) District tax received by county (or township) treasurer;
24 (12) Amount paid on teachers' wages;
25 (13) Amount paid for incidental expenses;
26 (14) Amount expended for purchasing site, erecting schoolhouses, rent and repairs;
27 (15) Amount expended in cancelling bonded indebtedness and paying interest on
28 same;
29 (16) Amount expended for library;
30 (17) Amount expended for legal services. If the rep ort does not include the
31 amount expended for legal services, then the attorney general may investigate the
32 violation of this subdivision and may bring a civil action, including an action for
33 injunctive relie f, against the school district or charter school. Such action shall be
34 br ought in the county wher e the school district or charter school is located;
35 (18) Cash on hand at the end of the year;
36 [ (18) ] (19) Such other information as may be required by the state board of education.
167.1001 . 1. For purposes of this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "Election", any primary , general, or special election held to nominate or elect
3 an individual to public office, to r etain or recall an elected officeholder , or to submit a
4 ballot measur e to the voters;
5 (2) "Par ent", a student's par ent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco
6 par entis to the student;
7 (3) "School", any public school governed and managed by an urban school
8 district.
9 2. A student shall not be consider ed absent fr om the school in which the student
10 is enrol led for the time during which the student accompanies his or her par ent when
11 the par ent is exer cising his or her right to vote in a scheduled election.
12 3. A student may receiv e an excused absence pursuant to subsection 2 of this
13 section only one time during each scheduled election.
14 4. A student who accompanies his or her par ent when the par ent is exerci sing his
15 or her right to vote in a scheduled election shall be encouraged by school officials to
16 demonstrate his or her attendance at the scheduled election by wearing an official
17 sticker , badge, or other item upon his or her ret urn to school indicating that he or she
18 attended the scheduled election.
170.027. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Missouri
2 Integrated Safe Driving Pr ogram".
3 2. As used in this section, "driver education instruction" means instruction
4 pr ovided under the Missouri integrated safe driving prog ram that offers instruction in
5 the use and operation of motor vehicles including, but not limited to, instruction in the
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6 safe operation of motor vehicles and rules of the r oad and the laws of this state rel ating
7 to motor vehicles.
8 3. (1) The state department of elementary and secondary education shall rec eive
9 and vet sample lessons from recogn ized statewide profes sional organizations and
10 districts that meet the req uirements of the Missouri integrated safe driving progr am.
11 (2) Sample lessons shall be made available to each public school district and
12 charter school offering courses to pupils in grades nine thr ough twelve.
13 (3) For the 2027-28 school year and all subsequent school years, each public
14 school district and charter school offering courses to pupils in grades nine thr ough
15 twelve may adopt a plan implementing the Missouri integrated safe driving pr ogram,
16 which may use the sample lessons.
17 4. The Missouri integrated safe driving pr ogram shall:
18 (1) Inform pupils about the r equir ements for obtaining and driving with an
19 instruction permit, an intermediate license, and a full driver license under Missouri's
20 graduated driver license law as established in chapter 302;
21 (2) Emphasize the development of knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills
22 necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles;
23 (3) Pr ovide instruction on distracted driving as a major traffic safety issue;
24 (4) Pr ovide instruction concerning law enfor cement pr ocedur es for traffic stops,
25 including a demonstration of the pr oper actions to be taken during a traffic stop and
26 appr opriate interactions with law enfor cement;
27 (5) Pr ovide pupils with curr ent data on driver safety relat ed to risky behaviors;
28 and
29 (6) Pr ovide instruction on safety concerns relat ing to pedestrians, commerci al
30 motor vehicles, motorc ycles and other potentially hazardous encounters on the road.
31 5. Districts may req uire pupils to participate in lessons devoted to addr essing the
32 r equir ements of the Missouri integrated safe driving pro gram in courses as determined
33 by the district. These lessons shall meet standards within the content of the course but
34 use safe driving as the context and application of the course standards.
35 6. (1) The driver education instruction under this section shall not requ ire any
36 pupil to physically operate a motor vehicle as part of such instruction.
37 (2) This section shall not be construed to pr ohibit any public school district or
38 charter school fr om offering an elective driver education course that is differ ent fr om
39 the driver education instruction r equir ed under this section.
40 7. The state board of education may promulg ate all necessary rules and
41 r egulations for the administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that
42 term is defined in section 536.010, that is creat ed under the authority delegated in this
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43 section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the
44 pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter
45 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly
46 pursuant to chapter 536 to revi ew , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul
47 a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority
48 and any rule pr oposed or adopted after the effective date of this section shall be invalid
49 and void.
186.085. The literacy advisory council established under section 186.080 shall
2 pr ovide advice on the inclusion of instruction and assessment of cursive writing and
3 r eading, including the optimal role for the use of cursive writing and re ading in
4 pr omoting literacy for all students. Such advice shall include r ecommendations for a
5 r elated model policy on cursive.
186.095. 1. The commissioner of education shall establish a "Framework on
2 Classr oom Use of Screen s Council" or "FOCUS Council". The council shall consist of
3 the commissioner , or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve as chair of the
4 council. The other members of the council shall be appointed as specified in this
5 subsection and shall include the following:
6 (1) One par ent of a child curr ently enr olled in kindergarten thr ough grade five
7 shall be selected by the presiden t pro tempor e of the senate;
8 (2) One par ent of a child curr ently enr olled in kindergarten thr ough grade five
9 shall be selected by the speaker of the house of r epresent atives;
10 (3) One education profes sional selected by the state board of education fr om
11 names submitted to it by the pr ofessional teachers' organizations of the state;
12 (4) One education pr ofessional selected by a statewide association of Missouri
13 school boards;
14 (5) One education profes sional selected by the state board of education fr om
15 names submitted to it by a statewide coalition of school administrators;
16 (6) T wo education pro fessionals selected by the presiden t pro tempor e of the
17 senate in addition to the member selected under subdivision (1) of this subsection;
18 (7) T wo education pr ofessionals selected by the speaker of the house of
19 r epresent atives in addition to the member selected under subdivision (2) of this
20 subsection;
21 (8) One education pr ofessional selected by the governor;
22 (9) One education pr ofessional selected by the lieutenant governor;
23 (10) One education pro fessional selected by the commissioner of the department
24 of higher education and workfor ce development;
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25 (1 1) One education pr ofessional selected by the state board of education fr om
26 names submitted to it by nationally r ecognized care er and technical education student
27 organizations operating in Missouri;
28 (12) One education pr ofessional selected by the state board of education fr om
29 names submitted to it by the heads of state-approv ed baccalaureate- level teacher
30 pr eparation pr ograms located in Missouri;
31 (13) A pediatric mental health pro fessional or board-certified behavioral analyst
32 licensed in the state, pref erably with experience in technology and behavioral res ponses,
33 selected by the speaker of the house of repr esentatives; and
34 (14) A medical pro fessional with expertise in child health and development
35 selected by the governor .
36 2. The department elementary and secondary education shall pr ovide necessary
37 staff and r esources for the work of the advisory council.
38 3. (1) The council shall meet at least four times per year in its initial year and at
39 least twice per year ther eafter to conduct a compreh ensive survey and analysis of scr een
40 time and instructional technology use in public schools and to r eview best practices
41 r egarding scr een use and the use of technology in instruction and relat ed policy
42 pr ovisions. Items and information rela ted to such best practices and policies shall
43 include, but not be limited to:
44 (a) Impacts on educational outcomes;
45 (b) Impacts on behavioral and discipline outcomes;
46 (c) Impacts on special education;
47 (d) Impacts on early childhood brain development, including read ing and
48 writing skills;
49 (e) The deterioration of student competency in read ing, writing, arithmetic, and
50 science;
51 (f) The need to str engthen human connection in classr ooms and support healthy ,
52 r espectful relat ionships;
53 (g) The isolation of students in a digital and virtual world; and
54 (h) Other such items and information to be determined by the council.
55 (2) The council shall meet for the first time for purposes of this subsection before
56 December 1, 2026, and the whole council or a subcommittee ther eof shall hold at least
57 thr ee additional meetings for purposes of this subsection before July 1, 2027.
58 (3) On or before July 1, 2027, the council shall submit a r eport containing the
59 council's actions, findings, reco mmendations, and policy pr oposals to the state board of
60 education, the governor , and the joint committee on education.
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61 (4) The rec ommendations shall include a reco mmended model school board
62 policy on scr een time and instructional technology use. The model policy shall
63 r ecommend best practices rega rding:
64 (a) Student scr een time;
65 (b) Student use of instructional technology;
66 (c) Restrictions on student scr een time;
67 (d) Restrictions on student use of instructional technology;
68 (e) Restrictions on student access to internet-connected instructional technology;
69 (f) Student use of manipulatives and traditional materials;
70 (g) The pro cess for a par ent or guardian to obtain information rega rding his or
71 her child's scr een time and instructional technology use;
72 (h) Minimizing or eliminating school district- or charter school-issued devices or
73 school district or charter school educational technology being used outside the school
74 day; and
75 (i) The pr ocess for a par ent or guardian to limit or eliminate his or her child's
76 scr een time and instructional technology use.
77 (5) The re commendations may include suggested changes to state law .
78 (6) The rep ort shall be present ed to the state board of education and to the joint
79 committee on education in public hearings. The rep ort shall be updated at least every
80 two years to pro vide additional information r egarding the council's actions,
8 1 r ecommendations, and policy pr oposals.
✔
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