SS/SCS/SBs 347, 40, 241 & 301 - This act revises requirements for various educational programs, school funding, teachers and teachers' salaries, and other aspects of public school education.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION - The act provides that school districts may use any operating funds to fund the costs of foreign language instruction in grades kindergarten through three.

CIVIL RIGHTS EDUCATION - This act provides that elementary and secondary public school courses in American history shall refer to the details and events of the racial equity movement which have caused changes in laws and attitudes.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 40.

AT-RISK PROGRAMS - This act allows any school district to create after school and summer educational programs in the subjects of art, science and mathematics for at-risk youth.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 241.

SEXUAL EDUCATION AND ABSTINENCE - Public school instruction in sex education shall present abstinence as the preferred choice of sexual behavior for unmarried pupils, provide accurate information regarding sexually transmitted diseases and health effects of contraception, discuss the consequences of adolescent sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy, teach conflict management, responsibility and self-esteem and advise pupils regarding state laws pertaining to statutory rape. School districts may separate students by gender for sex education. Each school district shall ensure that instruction in sex education is appropriate to the age of students instructed.

School districts shall not distribute condoms or other contraceptives.

Parents shall be informed of the content of the district's sex education curriculum and of the parent's right to remove the student from any part of the district's sex education program.

This portion of the act is similar to the perfected version of SS#2/SB 163 from 1999 and SB 647 from 1998.

CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAMS - This act prohibits any state agency from requiring a state certificate from a public school program concerning education and employment as a condition of employment or from requiring any employer to require such certificate as a condition of employment. Professional registration and licensing are not restricted by this provision.

This portion of the act which is similar to SB 191.

OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS WAIVERS - This act revises the "Outstanding Schools Waivers". The act provides that such waivers shall be granted to any school which certifies that it meets certain criteria specified in the act pertaining to student performance, faculty credentials, school curriculum, at-risk student programs, alternative schools and high school evaluation. The waiver shall remove the pupil testing requirements pursuant to Section 160.257, RSMo, in the school, requirements for accreditation by the State Board of Education and such other rules as determined by the Commissioner of Education. Any waiver provided to a school shall be void on June thirtieth of any school year in which the school fails to meet the criteria established by the act.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 301.

RECALCULATED LEVY - School districts which are required, pursuant to Article X, Section 22 of the Missouri Constitution, to make reassessment tax rate roll backs receive state aid based upon a higher, "recalculated levy" to ensure that the district receives no less state aid than the district received based upon the tax rate prior to the roll back. Under current law, the recalculated levy lasts until such time as the district votes to raise its levy back up to or in excess of the recalculated levy.

This act revises the "recalculated levy" provision such that all school districts will continue to receive state aid based upon inclusion of the recalculated levy, even if the district votes to raise its levy up to or above the recalculated levy.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 399.

OPERATING LEVY AND CAPITAL FUNDING - Current law allows certain districts to include a portion of the current and future levies for capital projects and debt service as part of the operating levy used to determine state aid. The current limitation excludes districts which are making payments on lease purchases or are making any transfers pursuant to subsection 4 of section 165.011, RSMo, which includes the "24 cents" times the GTB transfer, transfers for area vocational/technical expenditures and transfers for transportation equipment expenditures.

Under this act, only districts making transfers under the "24 cents" times the GTB provision in Subsection 4 of Section 165.011, RSMo, shall be excluded from including a portion of capital projects and debt service levies as part of the operating levy used to determine state aid. Eligible districts may include a total of up to 10 cents of the existing capital projects and debt service levies and up to an additional 8 cents of such levies approved after August 28, 1998. Similar provisions were enacted in both Section 163.015, RSMo, and in the contingent version of Section 163.011 contained in SB 781 from 1998. The bill repeals Section 163.015, RSMo, and revises Section 163.011.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 439.

READING ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION - This act provides grant funding to school districts or school buildings for reading assessment and intervention.

School districts with a more than 50% of 3rd graders performing at low levels shall redirect state remedial reading funds to intensive reading programs in grades K-3, unless the redirection would result in a loss of federal funding.

The State Board of Education shall develop recommended