Creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary schools

CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR PREKINDERGARTEN, KINDERGARTEN, AND FIRST GRADE (Sections 160.054 and 160.055) The act adds charter schools to provisions authorizing certain school districts to require children to have attained the age of three years old for eligibility for prekindergarten, five years old for eligibility for kindergarten and summer school prior to a kindergarten term, or six years old for eligibility for first grade, on or before a date selected by the district between August 1 and October 1 of that school year. A child who completes kindergarten in a charter school shall not be required to meet the minimum age requirements of another school district for entrance into first grade. (Sections 160.054 and 160.055)

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED TO CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS (Sections 160.415, 162.700, 162.890, and 163.011) Under this act, charter school students served in a special school district in St. Louis County shall be included in the calculation of the special school district's weighted membership and weighted average daily attendance, as such terms are defined in current law, in the same manner that students of the component school districts of the special school district are currently calculated. The definition of "special education pupil count" as used in the foundation formula is modified by specifying that students who are enrolled in a charter school but receiving services from a special school district in St. Louis County shall be included in the pupil count of the special school district instead of that of the charter school. (Sections 160.415 and 163.011)

Charter schools shall be responsible for early childhood special educational services, except for charter schools that are part of special school districts. (Section 162.700)

The act adds charter schools located within a special school district to a provision that neither the State Board of Education nor any school district within a special school district shall be obligated to establish schools or classes for children with disabilities under any other law that might otherwise impose such requirements. Following the formation of a new special school district, charter schools, in addition to the component districts of the special district and the State Board of Education, shall be required to continue providing whatever services they had previously furnished to children residing in the special district, but only until the special district has adequate resources to assume those responsibilities or for no more than one school term after the special district's formation, whichever comes first. (Section 162.890)

SCHOOL BOARD ORGANIZATION AND FINANCES (Sections 162.301, 162.411, and 162.511) The act requires newly elected school boards in seven-director districts to meet within 14 days after the certification of the election results, rather than within 14 days after the election. The act repeals a provision that no compensation shall be granted to the school board secretary or treasurer until their reports and settlements are made and filed or published. (Section 162.301)

A majority of all members of a school board of a seven-director or urban school district may vote to delegate to the superintendent decision-making authority regarding contracts, employment, bills, and payments. If such authority is so delegated, the superintendent shall report to the board monthly regarding all decisions made on such items. (Sections 162.301 and 162.511)

The act repeals a provision allowing school boards in school districts containing at least one city with a total population of over 30,000 inhabitants to employ an attorney on a retainer basis. (Section 162.411)

SCHOOL DISTRICT BONDS (Sections 162.531, 164.131, 164.161, 164.191, 164.201, 164.221, 164.261, 164.301, and 165.141) The act repeals a requirement for the secretary of the school board of an urban school district to keep a register of the bonded indebtedness of the school district. (Section 162.531)

The act repeals provisions requiring notice of an urban school district's submission of a loan question at a public election to include the amount of the loan required, and for what purpose. Instead, the notice shall contain certain information required for election notices under state law governing public elections. (Section 164.131)

The interest rate on school district bonds shall, in no case, exceed 10% per annum, rather than the highest legal rate allowed by contract. (Section 164.161)

Funding and refunding bonds for any school district shall be signed by the "manual or facsimile signature" of the school board president and countersigned by the "manual or facsimile signature" of the school board clerk. The act repeals a provision requiring such bonds to be attested by the clerk of the county commission, as well as a provision requiring the clerk of the school board to keep a record of all renewal bonds issued. (Section 164.191)

The act provides that no refunding or renewal bond shall be sold at a price less than 95% of the par value rather than 90%. All sums of money realized from such sales shall be used to redeem, retire, or provide for an escrow account for the redemption or payment of outstanding bonds of the school district and for the payment of costs of issuance, rather than being used only in the redemption of outstanding bonds. (Section 164.201)

The act repeals a provision that, whenever school district bonds are redeemed or paid off, such bonds shall be burned or shredded in the presence of two members of the school board and two other credible witnesses. (Section 164.221)

Revenue bonds issued by seven-director school districts to pay for dormitories or athletic stadiums shall not bear interest exceeding 10% per annum, rather than 4% per annum. Such bonds may be refunded in whole or in part as provided in current law governing bonds issued by political subdivisions. No refunding of such bonds shall bear interest at a rate exceeding 10% per annum, rather than 6% per annum. (Sections 164.261 and 164.301)

The act repeals a requirement for all tax anticipation notes of a school district to be registered, without fee, before delivery in the office of the county treasurer. Rather than showing the name of the purchaser if payable to bearer, tax anticipation notes shall show the name of the district treasurer or bank or trust company acting as a paying agent and note registrar. The act repeals a requirement for such notes to be cancelled once paid, as well as a requirement for the notes, once paid and cancelled, to be submitted to the county treasurer for recording. (Section 165.141)

READING INSTRUCTION (Section 170.014) The act repeals a provision allowing reading instruction in public schools to include visual information and strategies that improve background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, as long as such information and strategies are not used to teach word reading.

SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY (Sections 177.073, 177.086, and 177.091) Currently, school districts may select and purchase sites for construction of certain facilities by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the school board. This act requires only a majority vote to approve such selections and purchases. The act repeals limits on the types of facilities a school district may purchase.

School boards may currently direct the sale or lease of real or personal property belonging to the school district if the property is not required for operation of the school program. Under this act, such property may be sold or leased only if the superintendent determines the property has reasonable value after factoring in the time and costs associated with advertising and processing the sale or lease. All property the superintendent determines does not have reasonable value shall be recycled, destroyed, or disposed of. The school board may, by an affirmative vote of a majority of all board members, transfer district personal property to students or to another school district, with or without compensation. Personal property shall not otherwise be transferred without compensation unless the district has first attempted to sell the property and has not received any bids. District personal property shall be sold or leased to the highest bidder, and all proceeds shall be placed to the credit of the incidental fund.

A district may sell real or personal property to a community group or a city, state agency, municipal corporation, or any other political subdivision of the state, rather than any political subdivision located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the district. Public notice of the proposed sale and the agreed-upon purchase price of the property shall be posted at the primary offices of the school district and the governmental entity and on the websites of the school district and the governmental entity, if such websites exist. The district may also use other methods of advertisement it determines are effective.

Advertisements for bids on the construction of facilities exceeding an expenditure of $50,000 shall include, or direct potential bidders to, the complete invitation for bids including the project specifications and terms and conditions established for the project. Current law requirements for the advertisements of such bids shall not apply if the district utilizes a cooperative procurement service, state procurement service, or design-build service, as such services are described in current law, or any other procurement mechanism or source selection process authorized under state or federal law that implements an approach to competitive bidding that differs from the provisions of the act. Current law concerning wage rates on public works shall apply to all construction projects governed by any such state or federal law. OLIVIA SHANNON