Missouri Senate

Introduced

Under this act, the Department shall include certain information related to disciplinary removals in the school accountability report card. Such information shall be documented by public schools and charter schools, beginning on July 1, 2023, and schools shall report such information to the Department annually by June 30th each year beginning in 2024. Schools enrolling students that receive scholarships under the ESA program shall follow the same time lines and report such information to the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Board.

Beginning with the school accountability report card for the 2023-24 school year, the Department shall include aggregate data related to the types of removals employed, the demographic and disciplinary characteristics of removed students, the duration of removals, alternative measures and interventions, and whether a hearing was conducted, as further described in the act. (Sections 160.265 and 160.522)

At a hearing to suspend or expel a student, the school board shall consider reasonable alternative measures, including techniques that emphasize repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior, alternative behavior strategies, responsive classroom interventions, and positive behavioral supports and interventions.

No student shall be suspended out of school or expelled if the sole basis for such removal is truancy, other absences from school, or prior disciplinary actions. Students enrolled in preschool through third grade shall not be suspended out of school or expelled. (Section 167.161)

This act is similar to HB 1899 (2022) and HB 2533 (2022).

JAMIE ANDREWS