Bill > SB1496

This bill modifies and enacts new provisions related to elementary and secondary education in Missouri, primarily by establishing and expanding the "Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program" and reforming charter school regulations. The Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program allows qualifying students, defined as Missouri residents who are not illegal aliens and meet certain educational or income criteria, to receive scholarship funds for educational expenses at qualified schools, which include charter schools, private schools, public schools, and virtual schools. Taxpayers can receive a tax credit for making qualifying contributions to educational assistance organizations that fund these scholarships, with an increased annual cap on these tax credits. The bill also significantly broadens the locations where charter schools can operate, allowing them in any school district, and expands the types of entities that can sponsor them. Additionally, it modifies provisions related to student transfers between school districts, particularly for students from unaccredited districts, and introduces new regulations for school administrators, including alternative pathways to employment for those without a standard Missouri administrator certificate.

Education

https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=71190