JEFFERSON CITY — As Gov. Mike Parson weighs whether to sign a massive education plan into law, provisions in the measure to encourage five-day school weeks are drawing attention.
The legislation, which also includes a statewide expansion of the MOScholars voucher program, would give bonus state aid — to be used for teacher raises — to districts that maintain a five-day school week.
In addition, certain school districts would need to hold an election before moving to a four-day schedule.
Parson is expected to act on the legislation by Wednesday.
A spokesman for the governor, in a statement to the Post-Dispatch, did not indicate where the governor would land on the bill, Senate Bill 727.
Parson could either veto the law, sign it, or allow it to take effect without his signature.
People are also reading…
“Governor Parson is still reviewing the legislation,†Johnathan Shiflett, spokesman for Parson, said in a statement Friday.
Close to 170 districts across the state have adopted a four-day week, mostly in rural areas.
If the governor signs the bill, Fox School District in Arnold will reconsider the option of moving to a four-day week because of the incentives for keeping the traditional schedule, according to spokesman JP Prezzavento.
District leaders have proposed the schedule as a potential cost-cutting measure for the 2025-2026 school year or later.
Under a provision of the law for larger counties including Jefferson, Fox would need the approval of voters in the district every 10 years to enact a four-day week starting in 2026-2027.
Of the current districts on the short week, only Independence School District with 14,000 students would need voter approval to continue the schedule.
Districts that schedule at least 169 school days would also receive an additional 1% in annual state aid in fiscal 2026 and 2027 and 2% in subsequent years, to be spent on teacher raises.
State Sen. Doug Beck, D-south ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, supported the incentives for the five-day week and said he thinks the shorter schedule does not benefit students.
The salary boost would not offset the appeal of a shorter week when recruiting teachers, said Jon Turner, an associate professor at Missouri State University who researches the four-day week.
“Most superintendents are telling me the financial bonus for teachers if they return to the five-day week is less than $200 per year, so obviously this is not something that would have a major impact on the recruitment and retention issue that has caused the four-day week,†Turner said.
“Again, when you have so many vacancies and no applications, especially in rural Missouri, a couple of hundred bucks won’t have an impact — but it appears a four-day week is impacting applications and retention,†he said.
Independence has seen a 360% increase in applications for teaching positions in the district and very few vacancies since adopting the four-day week, said Superintendent Dale Herl at a community meeting in Arnold last month.
The monetary incentive could also impact districts and charter schools that aren’t technically on a short week but don’t hit the 169-day threshold. Missouri law requires districts to provide 1,044 hours of instruction but no minimum number of days.
Momentum Academy charters in ºüÀêÊÓƵ adopted a calendar for 2024-2025 that takes off alternating Fridays for a total of 159 school days.
In addition, a controversial expansion of independent charter schools into Boone County, in mid-Missouri, was included in the bill on Parson’s desk.
Democrats from Boone County have urged the governor to veto the bill.
“The expansion of charter schools in Boone County is strongly opposed because it will divert funding away from the Columbia Public School District and neighboring districts within our county, which are already facing significant financial challenges,†the four state representatives said in a letter to Parson last week.
“When charter schools initially entered the conversation in Missouri, it was to address unaccredited school districts,†the letter said. “None of our public schools in Boone County are unaccredited.â€
On Friday, superintendents for seven mid-Missouri districts with boundaries in Boone County urged Parson to veto the bill, calling it an unconstitutional special law targeting Boone County with no rational basis.
Another provision expands availability of the MOScholars voucher program statewide. The program provides scholarships for students that can be used for private school education.
The program doesn’t receive a direct state appropriation. Individuals make contributions to the organizations that distribute the scholarship and then receive a tax credit.
In 2021, when lawmakers initially approved MOScholars, geographic restrictions were placed on the program; only students in a charter county, or in a city of 30,000 or more residents can currently qualify.
The legislation increases the income level to qualify for the MOScholars Empowerment Scholarship Accounts from 200% of the household income limit for free and reduced lunch to 300% — or $166,500 for a family of four.
The legislation is Sena