Missouri lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill to expand private school scholarships across the state, an effort made possible by a wide range of compromises that includes a pledge to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on public schools. .
The Republican-led House narrowly voted 82-69 to send the bill to Republican Gov. Mike Parson. If signed, the bill would provide up to $6,375 per child for tuition, textbooks, tutoring, transportation, extracurriculars, summer school and more.
The bill’s passage is a victory for advocates who have fought for years to expand access to charter, virtual and private schools in Missouri. There is bipartisan concern that resources will be taken away from traditional K-12 public schools.
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The heart of the bill is the expansion of the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account, which is available to low-income families. The funding will come from private donors, who will receive tax credits in return.
“This is a win for parents who want more control over their children’s education and for students who now have more avenues to reach their full potential,” Republican Rep. Phil Cristofanelli said in a statement. ” he said.
The current scholarship program, which limits recipients to residents of the state’s largest cities and households below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, equates to $62,400 annually for a family of four.
The bill passed Thursday would increase the cap by 300%, or $93,600 for a family of four. Public school students with special needs through individualized education plans will receive additional scholarships under the new law.
The moon rises over the Missouri State Capitol Building in the afternoon sun in Jefferson City, Missouri. (Education Images/Universal Images Group, Getty Images)
The bill increases the tax deduction limit for individual donations from $50 million to $75 million annually to compensate for the potential influx of students.
In a bid to win support from lawmakers focused on supporting traditional public schools, senators are changing the way the state funds public schools by including funding to increase the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 a year. It was adjusted. The changes are expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars more for public education. time.
Several House Democrats warned that states may not have enough revenue to pay for the huge influx of money to public schools that the bill promises.
“Voucher expansion is essentially guaranteed, but the promise to public schools relies on additional funding that states don’t expect and that could lead to future increases,” House Democratic Minority Leader Crystal Quaid said in a statement. There is no need for lawmakers to provide it.”
Another provision would allow charter schools in Boone County, where Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rhoden lives. The bill would also require a public vote to authorize school districts to switch to a four-day school week and incentivize schools to maintain a five-day school week.
The issue, which advocates call “school choice,” has divided Missouri lawmakers across typical Republican-Democratic lines.
Local Republican lawmakers have long opposed allowing charter schools in their areas, concerned that they could draw students away from traditional public schools, which are considered the backbone of local communities. Meanwhile, some Democrats want to give students in underperforming schools in urban areas more options.
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Some conservatives also campaigned against tighter regulations on homeschoolers and private schools. One activist handed out “dog poop” brownies before the vote, suggesting that undesirable provisions could ruin what should have been a great treat.
