Introduced

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY PORTAL (Section 161.852)

This act creates the Missouri Education Transparency and Accountability Portal. The portal shall be an internet-based tool that provides citizens access to every school district's curriculum, source materials, and professional development materials. The portal shall consist of an easy-to-search database including certain information as outlined in the act. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a form that school districts shall complete with the information required by the act.

This provision is identical to a provision in SB 645 (2022) and is similar to provisions in SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023), in SB 158 (2023), and in HB 482 (2023).

PARENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS (Section 161.1140)

This act creates the "Parents' Bill of Rights Act of 2023." Under this act, no school district shall deny to the parent or guardian of a minor child certain rights. Such rights includes the ability to fully review the curricula, books, and other educational materials used by the school attended by their child; the ability to access information on teachers, guest lecturers, and outside presenters who engage with students at the school; the ability to access information on third party individuals and organizations that receive contracts; the right to visit their child at school during school hours; the right to access all records generated by the school that concern their child; the ability to access information pertaining to the collection and transmission of data regarding their child; the right to be heard at school board meetings; the right to be notified of situations affecting the safety of their child at school; and the right to object to certain materials that the parent finds inappropriate to be taught to their child.

Any person denied one of these rights may bring a civil action for injunctive relief. Further, the attorney general may also bring a civil action for injunctive relief. If a school district is found to have violated this act, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education may withhold up to fifty percent of the state aid for such district.

This provision is identical to provisions in SB 42 (2023) and in SB 776 (2022) and is similar to a provision in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 4, 42 & 89 (2023).

OLIVIA SHANNON