Sen. Barbara Anne Washington’s Legislative Column for the Week of Dec. 13, 2021

The ACT score requirement for Missouri’s Bright Flight scholarship will be increasing to 32 for students graduating from high school in 2023. Since 2008, students have needed a score of 31 or above on the ACT to receive the maximum $3,000 award annually.

The Bright Flight scholarship is a merit-based program that’s been in existence since 1986. In accordance with Missouri statutes, eligibility is based on a “composite score on the ACT or the SAT achieved in an eligible student’s high school sophomore, junior or senior year that is in the top 5% of Missouri test takers, as established at the beginning of an eligible student’s final year of secondary coursework.”

There were 45,530 high school senior test takers in 2021. The top 3% has moved from a score of 31 to a score of 32, while the fourth and fifth percentiles have moved to a 30 and 31. The ACT Bright Flight qualifying score had been a 30 for more than 20 years prior to it changing to a 31 in 2008.

Students must achieve a score on the ACT or SAT in the top 3 percent of test takers in order to receive a maximum annual award, which is $3,000. Students scoring in the top fourth and fifth percentiles are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 annually. The final award amounts are dependent on the amount of funds allocated for the program during each legislative session. The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development awarded more than $17.6 million to 7,840 Bright Flight recipients during FY 2021.

In addition to the change in ACT eligibility scoring, the department plans to begin accepting “superscores” to qualify students for Bright Flight beginning with the 2022-2023 high school seniors. A superscore is the average of the four best subject scores (English, math, reading and science) across all ACT tests taken by an individual. A student must have scores from at least two tests in order for ACT to calculate a superscore.

Earlier this year, ACT announced it will provide an automatically calculated ACT superscore to all test takers. Since a superscore is considered a “composite” score, this approach remains consistent with the statutory definition of a qualifying score.

The department has not yet received the information necessary to determine the qualifying SAT scores for the 2023 seniors from the College Board, but due to the small number of students taking the SAT, any score change should not impact students that qualify with only an SAT score.

Find more information about the Bright Flight scholarship visit, https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/brightflight.php.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Special License Plate

During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 189, which I sponsored. This legislation creates a special license plate for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Anyone interested in supporting this Kansas City gem can apply for the license plate by following these steps:

1. Make a $10 donation to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
   • Donations can be made directly to the museum or by sending the museum a check upon submitting your application. Be sure to get a receipt for your contribution.
2. Complete the 1716 form to apply for the specialty license plate. This form can be found at mo.gov/motor-vehicle/plates/personalized-specialty.html.
   • When completing the form, select “other” and fill in that you are applying for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum plate.
3. Send your application, along with your $10 museum donation (or the receipt for your donation), and your $15 standard plate application fee to the museum at 1616 E 18th St., KCMO, 64108.

As of April 9, all adult Missouri residents are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of occupation. Please contact your local pharmacy or health care provider for information on how best to receive one of the available vaccines. For more information about the vaccine in Missouri, please visit covidvaccine.mo.gov.

University Health is now providing Pfizer, Moderna and J & J booster shots for COVID-19. The CDC approved a booster shot for any adult who received their first two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or for any adult who received a single dose of the J & J vaccine at least two months ago. If you are eligible, you can schedule an appointment by calling 816-404-CARE or walk in to University Health 2 (2211 Charlotte St., KCMO 64108) or University Health Lakewood Medical Center (7900 Lee’s Summit Road, KCMO 64139). The COVID-19 vaccine is available to children 5-11 at these two locations as well. Established patients may make an appointment with their child’s provider at the Med/Ped’s clinic at UHTMC or the Family Medicine Clinic at UHLMC. Additional vaccine information, including free transportation info, is available at www.universityhealthkc.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine/.

The Jackson County Health Department also has numerous vaccine and testing clinics available. For more information, please visit jacohd.org.

The Center for COVID Recovery is open to treat patients who experience long-term effects from the virus. For more information, visit universityhealthkc.org/covid-19/center-for-covid-recovery; please share this information with anyone who continues to struggle after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

Thank you for your vote of confidence to serve the people of the 9th District in the Missouri Senate. In an effort to keep you up-to-date with my legislation or other proposed measures, please feel free to visit my website at senate.mo.gov/Washington. I appreciate your active interest in your community and encourage your participation in the legislative process. Should you need assistance with state matters, please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-3158.

Senator Washington’s Sponsored Legislation for 2021

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