Missouri NEA Weekly Legislative Update
Week 13, April 10, 2025
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director
LOCAL CONTROL AND STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
The Senate debated SS/SB 360 (Jill Carter) on April 8, but the bill was laid over and not brought to a perfection vote. The bill would support local control and reduce the state's heavy emphasis on standardized testing. The Association supports the bill.
The bill would require the State Board of Education to recognize at least two national school accreditation organizations and allow districts to choose to gain accreditation by approval of such a group. The bill also directs the State Board to revise the MAP assessment and restrict the use of the MAP to only the purposes required under federal law. The bill requires school districts to develop or adopt local assessments and allows local assessment results to be part of a district's school report card.
OPEN ENROLLMENT BILL
The Senate Education Committee heard HCS/HB 711 (Brad Pollitt) on April 10 but did not vote on the bill after the hearing. The bill would create a public-school open enrollment program. The Association believes that public school choice plans with state funding may harm students and our public schools unless essential criteria are in place for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating their effectiveness. The Association opposes HB 711 based on this concern.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX CUT
The Senate approved the SS version of HCS/HBs 594 & 508 (Chad Perkins) on April 7. The bill now returns to the House for its consideration of the Senate changes. The SS version includes several additional tax provisions, including increases to the income tax credit for property taxes or rent paid by qualifying seniors (the so-called Circuit Breaker tax credit). The Association remains concerned that the overall fiscal impact of this tax cut will reduce the legislature's ability to invest in public education and other essential services.
VIRTUAL STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
The Senate approved SS/SB 266 (Travis Fitzwater) on April 10. The bill creates standards for virtual schools or programs to administer statewide assessments.
CHARTER SCHOOL DEED RESTRICTIONS
The House approved HCS/HBs 1363, 1062, & 1254 (George Hruza) on April 7. The bill would prohibit local ordinances from supporting or allowing deed restrictions to preclude subsequent use of a building as a charter school. The bill would also invalidate existing deed restrictions of this type.
ANTISEMITISM BILL
The House approved HCS/HB 937 (George Hruza) on April 10. The bill would require policies against discrimination and antisemitism in public schools and public colleges and universities. The House adopted an amendment to add the language of HB 284 (Raychel Proudie). HB 284 prohibits discrimination by educational institutions based on a person's hair texture or protective hairstyle if that protective hairstyle or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or origin.
HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE TRANSFERS
The House approved HB 183 (Cameron Parker) on April 7. The bill would expand public higher education core curriculum transfer provisions from forty-two credit hours to sixty credit hours for certain degree programs.
The Senate debated SB 69 (Kurtis Gregory), a similar bill, on April 8, but did not bring the bill to a vote. Sen. Lincoln Hough offered an amendment to SB 69 to add the language of his SB 11. SB 11 would repeal several restrictions regarding the conferring of doctoral, professional, and certain other degrees by institutions other than the University of Missouri. The bill was laid over with the amendment pending.
PUBLIC PENSIONS
The House approved HCS/HBs 735 & 686 (Dirk Deaton) on April 10. The bill includes several provisions regarding public pensions. One provision prohibits the contribution or expenditure of public pension system funds to advocate, support, or oppose the passage or defeat of any ballot measure or the nomination or election of any candidate for public office. This requirement is consistent with the policies of the PSRS/PEERS Systems.
CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS
The Senate approved SS/SCS/SBs 166 & 155 (Kurtis Gregory) on April 8. The bill requires public schools to develop cardiac emergency response plans. The Association supports the bill.
COMPENSATION OF HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES
The Senate perfected SS/SB 80 (Kurtis Gregory) on April 9. The original bill pertained to compensation for high school athletes. The floor substitute expands the bill to include several provisions regarding sports complex authorities.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY Education
The committee heard three bills on April 9:
HB 1365 (Marty Jacobs) would establish due process and evaluation requirements for principals. The Association supports the bill.
HB 1413 (Ann Kelley) would extend the sunset for the law requiring the Governor to appoint an active classroom teacher as a non-voting member of the State Board of Education. The Association supports the bill.
SB 49 (Rusty Black) to allow school districts to employ or accept school chaplains as volunteers.
HOUSE OMNIBUS BILL
The Senate Education Committee also heard the House version of HCS/HB 607 (Ed Lewis) on April 10. The bill modifies the minimum teacher salary law to remove the requirement that a teacher's master's degree must be in an academic teaching field related to the teacher's assignment.
The House version also includes the following provisions:
HCS/HB 32 (Bishop Davidson) to lower the minimum attendance age for Missouri's adult high schools to 18 years of age. The Association supports this provision.
HB 220 (Ed Lewis) to create standards for virtual schools or programs to administer statewide assessments.
HB 267 (Brenda Shields) to repeal the sunset on provisions governing teacher externships. The Association supports this provision.
HB 368 (Brad Banderman) to clarify that school districts will still qualify for the 1% increase in state aid for a school calendar of at least 169 school days, even if the school is in session fewer days due to inclement weather or another allowed reduction. The Association supports this provision.
HB 454 (Ian Mackie) banning district use of "zero tolerance" discipline policies.
HCS/HB 712 (Brad Pollitt) to require DESE to determine a student's grade-level equivalence on the MAP test. The Association supports this provision.
HB 792 (Ed Lewis) to allow teacher recruitment and retention state scholarships to also be used for educational costs other than tuition.
HCS/HB 941 (Ed Lewis) to limit school districts from using a "three-cueing system" model of reading instruction. The Association believes this provision is unneeded and may affect implementing the current literacy law.
HB 1039 (Stephanie Boykin) to extend the option for PSRS retirees to work as a substitute teacher while receiving their PSRS pension. The Association supports this provision.
HB 1153 (Cecilie Williams) to require the state Board of Education to issue certificates of license to teach upon certification by Teachers for Tomorrow.
HCS/HB 1238 (Willard Haley) regarding pupils attending non-resident schools where the pupil's parent is a regular employee or contractor.
The House also added a provision to exempt districts from competitive bidding requirements for construction projects over $50,000 when using a cooperative procurement service, state procurement services, a design-build contract, or other purchasing processes authorized by state or federal law.