SECOND REGULAR SESSION
95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE AULL.
4669L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 160.254 and 160.530, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to the joint committee on education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 160.254 and 160.530, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 160.254 and 160.530, to read as follows:
160.254. 1. There is hereby established a joint committee of the general assembly, which shall be known as the "Joint Committee on Education", which shall be composed of seven members of the senate and seven members of the house of representatives. The senate members of the committee shall be appointed by the president pro tem of the senate and the house members by the speaker of the house.
2. The committee shall meet at least twice a year. In the event of three consecutive absences on the part of any member, such member may be removed from the committee.
3. The committee shall select either a chairman or cochairmen, one of whom shall be a member of the senate and one a member of the house. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings of the committee may be called at such time and place as the chairman or chairmen designate.
4. The committee shall:
(1) Review and monitor the progress of education in the state's public schools and institutions of higher education;
(2) Receive reports from the commissioner of education concerning the public schools and from the commissioner of higher education concerning institutions of higher education;
(3) Conduct a study and analysis of the public school system;
(4) Make recommendations to the general assembly for legislative action;
(5) Conduct an in-depth study concerning all issues relating to the equity and adequacy of the distribution of state school aid, teachers' salaries, funding for school buildings, and overall funding levels for schools and any other education funding-related issues the committee deems relevant;
(6) Monitor the establishment of performance measures as required by section 173.1006, RSMo, and report on their establishment to the governor and the general assembly;
(7) Conduct studies and analysis regarding:
(a) The higher education system, including financing public higher education and the provision of financial aid for higher education; and
(b) The feasibility of including students enrolled in proprietary schools, as that term is defined in section 173.600, RSMo, in all state-based financial aid programs;
(8) Annually review the collection of information under section 173.093, RSMo, to facilitate a more accurate comparison of the actual costs at public and private higher education institutions;
(9) Within three years of August 28, 2007, review a new model for the funding of public higher education institutions upon submission of such model by the coordinating board for higher education;
(10) Within three years of August 28, 2007, review the impact of the higher education student funding act established in sections 173.1000 to 173.1006;
(11) Beginning August 28, [2008, upon review, approve or deny] 2010, review any expenditures made by the commissioner of education pursuant to section 160.530, as provided in subsection 5 of section 160.530.
5. During the legislative interim between the first regular session of the ninety-fifth general assembly through January 29, 2010, of the second regular session of the ninety-fifth general assembly, the joint committee on education shall study the issue of open enrollment for public school students across school district boundary lines in this state. In studying this issue, the joint committee may solicit input and information necessary to fulfill its obligation, including but not limited to soliciting input and information from any state department, state agency, school district, political subdivisions of this state, teachers, and the general public. The joint committee shall prepare a final report, together with its recommendations for any legislative action deemed necessary for submission to the general assembly by December 31, 2009.
6. The committee may make reasonable requests for staff assistance from the research and appropriations staffs of the house and senate and the committee on legislative research, as well as the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of higher education, the coordinating board for higher education, the state tax commission, the department of economic development, all school districts and other political subdivisions of this state, teachers and teacher groups, business and other commercial interests and any other interested persons.
7. Members of the committee shall receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses associated with the performance of their official duties.
160.530. 1. Beginning with fiscal year 1994 and for all fiscal years thereafter, in order to be eligible for state aid distributed pursuant to section 163.031, RSMo, a school district shall allocate one percent of moneys received pursuant to section 163.031, RSMo, exclusive of categorical add-ons, to the professional development committee of the district as established in subdivision (1) of subsection 4 of section 168.400, RSMo. Of the moneys allocated to the professional development committee in any fiscal year as specified by this subsection, seventy-five percent of such funds shall be spent in the same fiscal year for purposes determined by the professional development committee after consultation with the administrators of the school district and approved by the local board of education as meeting the objectives of a school improvement plan of the district that has been developed by the local board. Moneys expended for staff training pursuant to any provisions of this act shall not be considered in determining the requirements for school districts imposed by this subsection.
2. Beginning with fiscal year 1994 and for all fiscal years thereafter, eighteen million dollars shall be distributed by the commissioner of education to address statewide areas of critical need for learning and development, provided that such disbursements are [approved] reviewed by the joint committee on education as provided in subsection 5 of this section, and as determined by rule and regulation of the state board of education with the advice of the commission established by section 160.510 and the advisory council provided by subsection 1 of section 168.015, RSMo. The moneys described in this subsection may be distributed by the commissioner of education to colleges, universities, private associations, professional education associations, statewide associations organized for the benefit of members of boards of education, public elementary and secondary schools, and other associations and organizations that provide professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, family literacy personnel and boards of education for the purpose of addressing statewide areas of critical need, provided that subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of this subsection shall constitute priority uses for such moneys. "Statewide areas of critical need for learning and development" shall include:
(1) Funding the operation of state management teams in districts with academically deficient schools and providing resources specified by the management team as needed in such districts;
(2) Funding for grants to districts, upon application to the department of elementary and secondary education, for resources identified as necessary by the district, for those districts which are failing to achieve assessment standards;
(3) Funding for family literacy programs;
(4) Ensuring that all children, especially children at risk, children with special needs, and gifted students are successful in school;
(5) Increasing parental involvement in the education of their children;
(6) Providing information which will assist public school administrators and teachers in understanding the process of site-based decision making;
(7) Implementing recommended curriculum frameworks as outlined in section 160.514;
(8) Training in new assessment techniques for students;
(9) Cooperating with law enforcement authorities to expand successful antidrug programs for students;
(10) Strengthening existing curricula of local school districts to stress drug and alcohol prevention;
(11) Implementing and promoting programs to combat gang activity in urban areas of the state;
(12) Establishing family schools, whereby such schools adopt proven models of one-stop state services for children and families;
(13) Expanding adult literacy services; and
(14) Training of members of boards of education in the areas deemed important for the training of effective board members as determined by the state board of education.
3. Beginning with fiscal year 1994 and for all fiscal years thereafter, two million dollars of the moneys appropriated to the department of elementary and secondary education otherwise distributed to the public schools of the state pursuant to the provisions of section 163.031, RSMo, exclusive of categorical add-ons, shall be distributed in grant awards by the state board of education, by rule and regulation, for the "Success Leads to Success" grant program, which is hereby created. The purpose of the success leads to success grant program shall be to recognize, disseminate and exchange information about the best professional teaching practices and programs in the state that address student needs, and to encourage the staffs of schools with these practices and programs to develop school-to-school networks to share these practices and programs.
4. The department shall include a listing of all expenditures under this section in the annual budget documentation presented to the governor and general assembly.
5. Prior to distributing any funds under subsection 2 of this section, the commissioner of education shall appear before the joint committee on education and present a [proposed delineation] list of the programs to be funded under the provisions of subsection 2 of this section, along with a proposed budget for each program. The joint committee shall review [all proposed spending under subsection 2 of this section and shall affirm, by a majority vote of all members serving on the committee, the spending proposal of the commissioner prior to any disbursement of funds under subsection 2 of this section] the list of programs and the proposed budget for each program.
6. If any provision of subdivision (11) of subsection 4 of section 160.254 or any provision of subsection 2 or 5 of this section regarding approval of disbursements by the joint committee on education is held to be invalid for any reason, then such decision shall invalidate subsection 2 of this section in its entirety.
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