JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri legislators on Thursday approved a sweeping education package that calls for hundreds of millions of dollars in new public education spending annually and a statewide expansion of an education voucher program.
House lawmakers sent the measure to Gov. Mike Parson on a tight 82-69 vote — the minimum number of affirmative votes necessary for final approval in the House.
Two dozen Republicans defected from the majority, voting against the measure, while three Democrats voted for it, enough for it to pass.
The legislation only emerged from the Senate in March after Democrats initially blocked a vote. Behind-the-scenes negotiations yielded major changes to the bill, originally focused on school choice, including the planned cash infusions to the public education system.
Among other things, the measure would raise the minimum teacher pay in state statute from $25,000 to $40,000 per year for the 2025-2026 school year and allow for additional inflationary increases in the future.
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“We put together a package that serves all the diverse interests,†said Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, who handled the Senate bill in the House.
A nonpartisan fiscal analysis predicts the measure could cost the state’s general coffers more than $450 million annually once fully implemented in fiscal year 2031.
“While the voucher expansion is essentially guaranteed, the promises to public schools depend on additional funding the state isn’t expected to have and future lawmakers aren’t required to provide,†House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said in a statement after the vote.
Democrats also spoke out against a provision included in the bill that will allow independent charter schools in Boone County.
“Poison. Poison. That’s what this bill is to Boone County,†said Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia. “Our schools are accredited. We don’t need this bill. We are hanging on by a razor’s edge financially already.â€
Another key provision in the legislation would take the MOScholars education voucher program statewide. The program provides student scholarships that can be used for private schooling expenses.
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.
Senate Democrats had also pushed for additional accountability measures for the existing MOScholars voucher program.
The plan requires the state treasurer to post certain MOScholars information online, including the number of students awarded MOScholars scholarships to date and the amount of scholarship money paid each year to qualifying schools.
“Parents should be able to have choices as to how and when and where their children are taught,†said Rep. Marlene Terry, D-north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, who voted for the bill.
Democratic Reps. Steve Butz of south ºüÀêÊÓƵ and Chantelle Nickson-Clark of north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County also supported the bill.
Additional provisions call for more state support for pre-kindergarten, increasing the number of teacher recruitment and retention scholarships, and changing how school aid is calculated so that a school’s enrollment and attendance are factored into the funding formula.
In addition, the legislation doubles an annual small schools grant from $15 million to $30 million, and creates an Elementary Literacy Fund of no more than $5 million each year for elementary home-reading programs.
Another addition would send bonus state aid to school districts maintaining a five-day school week.
The legislation is .