From school funding to teacher compensation: On Wednesday, a controversial law went into effect in Missouri that affects schools in your area in many ways. Some of the provisions are widely accepted. Others less so.
One important point changes the way Missouri’s public schools are funded from preschool through high school. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester), said the school’s funding will be based on enrollment rates, not average daily attendance.
“Many schools have fixed costs. So if a child is absent from school for a day because they are sick or debilitated, then the funding is not going to follow the student to school on those days,” he told Missourinet. “What this (law) does is that whether the child comes to school or not, the school still has to provide a bus, a teacher and a desk in the classroom. And that’s why it makes sense to change the way we fund schools based on enrollment.”
The law requires larger school districts to hold a referendum if they want to move to a four-day school week.
“There’s some concern that some schools in the more urban areas are moving to four-day school weeks, and that doesn’t seem to work well for parents or students as they try to cram in four days instead of five. In some rural areas, it may make sense to do something like that. If you have really long bus rides, you don’t want the kids sitting on the bus for hours every day,” Koenig said.
A small incentive would be given to districts that offer classes five days a week.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 168 districts and charter schools held classes four days a week last school year.
The bill includes so-called “school choice” measures that many lawmakers, regardless of party, disagree on. One provision expands access to and funding for a tax credit program designed to allow Missouri students to attend private schools.
Another bill allows charter schools to open in Columbia. Democratic Rep. Adrian Plank of Columbia said the bill would “destroy” his district because traditional schools would lose money and be forced to ask residents for a tax increase.
One provision supported by both parties would increase the minimum salary for teachers. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the minimum salary for teachers would be $40,000.
Some lawmakers think that’s too much. Others say it’s a good starting point. And there are lawmakers who say that number isn’t enough to compete with neighboring states like Arkansas, where the base salary for teachers is $50,000 a year.
For a full-time teacher with a relevant master’s degree and ten years of professional experience, the minimum salary will be $46,000 in 2025-26, $47,000 in 2026-27, and $48,000 in 2027-28.
In 2028/29, minimum salaries for teachers will be adjusted annually to inflation, up to a maximum of 3%.
Senate Bill 727 also provides:
• Establishes a fund to promote primary school reading skills
• Increases the grant program for small schools from $15 million to $30 million per year
• Protects the retirement benefits of educators who continue to teach after retirement
• Creates the state scholarship program to recruit and retain teachers
Does Koenig believe SB 727 is the panacea for education?
“I’m not saying it will solve all the problems, but I believe it’s a better way to fund schools,” he said.
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