To repeal sections 137.073, 151.150, 163.011, 163.021, 163.025 and 164.073, RSMo 1994, relating to state aid for public schools, and to enact in lieu thereof five new sections relating to the same subject.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI,

AS FOLLOWS:

Section A. Sections 137.073, 151.150, 163.011, 163.021, 163.025 and 164.073, RSMo 1994, are repealed and five new sections enacted in lieu thereof to be known as sections 137.073, 151.150, 163.011, 163.021 and 163.025, to read as follows:

137.073. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "General reassessment", changes in value, entered in the assessor's books, of a substantial portion of the parcels of real property within a county resulting wholly or partly from reappraisal of value or other actions of the assessor or county equalization body or ordered by the state tax commission or any court;

(2) "Tax rate", "rate", or "rate of levy", singular or plural, includes the tax rate for each purpose of taxation of property a taxing authority is authorized to levy without a vote and any tax rate authorized by election, including bond interest and sinking fund;

(3) "Tax rate ceiling", a tax rate as revised by the taxing authority to comply with the provisions of this section or when a court has determined the tax rate; except that, other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding and until but not including the 1997-1998 school year, a school district may levy the operating levy for school purposes required for the current year under subsection 2 of section 163.021, RSMo, if such tax rate does not exceed the highest tax rate in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year. This is the maximum tax rate that may be levied, unless a higher tax rate ceiling is approved by voters of the political subdivision as provided in this section;

(4) "Tax revenue", when referring to the previous year, means the actual receipts from ad valorem levies on all classes of property, including state-assessed property, in the immediately preceding fiscal year of the political subdivision, plus an allowance for taxes billed but not collected in the fiscal year and plus an additional allowance for the revenue which would have been collected from property which was annexed by such political subdivision but which was not previously used in determining tax revenue under this section. The term "tax revenue" shall not include any receipts from ad valorem levies on any property of a railroad corporation or a public utility, as these terms are defined in section 386.020, RSMo, which were assessed by the assessor of a county or city in the previous year but are assessed by the state tax commission in the current year. All school districts and those counties levying sales taxes under chapter 67, RSMo, shall include in the calculation of tax revenue an amount equivalent to that by which they reduced property tax levies as a result of sales tax under section 67.505, RSMo, and section 164.013, RSMo, in the immediately preceding fiscal year but not including any amount calculated to adjust for prior years. For purposes of political subdivisions which were authorized to levy a tax in the prior year but which did not levy such tax or levied a reduced rate, the term "tax revenue", as used in relation to the revision of tax levies mandated by law, shall mean the revenues equal to the amount that would have been available if the voluntary rate reduction had not been made.

2. Whenever changes in assessed valuation are entered in the assessor's books, the county clerk in all counties and the assessor of St. Louis City shall notify each political subdivision wholly or partially within the county or St. Louis City of the change in valuation, exclusive of new construction and improvements. All political subdivisions shall immediately revise the rates of levy for each purpose for which taxes are levied to the extent necessary to produce from all taxable property, exclusive of new construction and improvements, substantially the same amount of tax revenue as was produced in the previous year, except that the rate may not exceed the greater of the rate in effect in the 1984 tax year or the most recent voter-approved rate. As provided in section 22 of article X of the constitution, a political subdivision may also revise each levy to allow for inflationary assessment growth occurring within the political subdivision. The inflationary growth factor shall be limited to the actual assessment growth within the political subdivision, exclusive of new construction and improvements, but not to exceed the consumer price index or five percent, whichever is lower.

3. (1) Where the taxing authority is a school district, it shall be required to revise the rates of levy to the extent necessary to produce from all taxable property, including state-assessed railroad and utility property, which shall be separately estimated in addition to other data required in complying with section 164.011, RSMo, substantially the amount of tax revenue permitted in this section[; provided that beginning with the 1993 tax year no school district shall be required to revise its operating levy for school purposes below the rate required for the current year under subsection 2 of section 163.021, RSMo, if such tax rate does not exceed the highest tax rate in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year]. In the year following tax rate reduction, the tax rate ceiling may be adjusted to offset such district's reduction in the apportionment of state school moneys due to its reduced tax rate. However, in the event any school district, in calculating a tax rate ceiling pursuant to this section, requiring the estimating of effects of state-assessed railroad and utility valuation or loss of state aid, discovers that the estimates used result in receipt of excess revenues, which would have required a lower rate if the actual information had been known, the school district shall reduce the tax rate ceiling in the following year to compensate for the excess receipts, and the recalculated rate shall become the tax rate ceiling for purposes of this section.

(2) For any political subdivision which experiences a reduction in the amount of assessed valuation relating to a prior year, due to decisions of the state tax commission or a court under sections 138.430 to 138.433, RSMo, or due to clerical errors or corrections in the calculation or recordation of any assessed valuation:

(a) Such political subdivision may revise the tax rate ceiling for each purpose it levies taxes to compensate for the reduction in assessed value occurring after the political subdivision calculated the tax rate ceiling in the prior year. Such revision by the political subdivision shall be made at the time of the next calculation of the tax rate after the reduction in assessed valuation has been determined and shall be calculated in a manner that results in the revised tax rate ceiling being the same as it would have been had the corrected or finalized assessment been available at the time of the prior calculation;

(b) In addition, for up to three years following the determination of the reduction in assessed valuation as a result of circumstances defined in this subdivision, such political subdivision may levy a tax rate for each purpose it levies taxes above the revised tax rate ceiling provided in paragraph (a) of this subdivision to recoup any revenues it was entitled to receive for the three-year period preceding such determination.

4. (1) In order to implement the provisions of this section and section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri, the term "improvements" shall apply to both real and personal property. In order to determine the value of new construction and improvements, each county assessor shall maintain a record of real property valuations in such a manner as to identify each year the increase in valuation for each political subdivision in the county as a result of new construction and improvements. The value of new construction and improvements shall include the additional assessed value of all improvements or additions to real property which were begun after and were not part of the prior year's assessment, except that the additional assessed value of all improvements or additions to real property which had been totally or partially exempt from ad valorem taxes pursuant to sections 99.800 to 99.865, RSMo, sections 135.200 to 135.255, RSMo, and section 353.110, RSMo, shall be included in the value of new construction and improvements when the property becomes totally or partially subject to assessment and payment of all ad valorem taxes. The aggregate increase in valuation of personal property for the current year over that of the previous year is the equivalent of the new construction and improvements factor for personal property. The assessor shall certify the amount of new construction and improvements for each political subdivision to the county clerk in order that political subdivisions shall have this information for the purpose of calculating tax rates under this section and section 22, article X, Constitution of Missouri. In addition, the state tax commission shall certify each year to each county clerk the increase in the general price level as measured by the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the United States, or its successor publications, as defined and officially reported by the United States Department of Labor, or its successor agency. The state tax commission shall certify the increase in such index on the latest twelve-month basis available on June first of each year over the immediately preceding prior twelve-month period in order that political subdivisions shall have this information available in setting their tax rates according to law and section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri. For purposes of implementing the provisions of this section and section 22 of article X of the Missouri Constitution, the term "property" means all taxable property, including state assessed property.

(2) Each political subdivision required to revise rates of levy pursuant to this section or section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri shall calculate each tax rate it is authorized to levy and, in establishing each tax rate, shall consider each provision for tax rate revision provided in this section and section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri, separately and without regard to annual tax rate reductions provided in section 67.505, RSMo, and section 164.013, RSMo. Each political subdivision shall set each tax rate it is authorized to levy using the calculation that produces the lowest tax rate ceiling[; except that beginning with the 1993 tax year no school district shall be required to revise its operating levy for school purposes below the rate required for the current year under subsection 2 of section 163.021, RSMo, if such tax rate does not exceed the highest tax rate in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year]. It is further the intent of the general assembly, under the authority of section 10(c) of article X of the Constitution of Missouri, that the provisions of such section be applicable to tax rate revisions mandated under section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri as to reestablishing tax rates as revised in subsequent years, enforcement provisions, and other provisions not in conflict with section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri[; except that, in calculating tax rates in the year subsequent to a tax revision under section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri, a school district may modify its tax rate ceiling in such a manner as to recapture any loss in state school aid occasioned by establishing its tax rate ceiling as required by section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri]. Annual tax rate reductions provided in section 67.505, RSMo, and section 164.013, RSMo, shall be applied to the tax rate as established under this section and section 22 of article X of the Constitution of Missouri, unless otherwise provided by law.

5. (1) In all political subdivisions, the tax rate ceiling established pursuant to this section shall not be increased unless approved by a vote of the people. Approval of the higher tax rate shall be by at least a majority of votes cast. When a proposed higher tax rate requires approval by more than a simple majority under any provision of law or the constitution, the tax rate increase must receive approval by at least the majority required.

(2) When voters approve an increase in the tax rate, the amount of the increase shall be added to the tax rate ceiling as calculated under this section to the extent the total rate does not exceed any maximum rate prescribed by law. If a ballot question presents a stated tax rate for approval rather than describing the amount of increase in the question, the stated tax rate approved shall be the current tax rate ceiling. The increased tax rate ceiling as approved may be applied to the total assessed valuation of the political subdivision at the setting of the next tax rate.

(3) The governing body of any political subdivision may levy a tax rate lower than its tax rate ceiling and may increase that lowered tax rate to a level not exceeding the tax rate ceiling without voter approval.

6. Each taxing authority proposing to levy a tax rate in any year shall notify the clerk of the county commission in the county or counties where the tax rate applies of its tax rate ceiling and its proposed tax rate. Any taxing authority levying a property tax rate shall provide data, in such form as shall be prescribed by the state auditor by rule, substantiating such tax rate complies with Missouri law. In addition, each taxing authority proposing to levy a tax rate for debt service shall provide data, in such form as shall be prescribed by the state auditor by rule, substantiating the tax rate for debt service complies with Missouri law. A tax rate proposed for annual debt service requirements will be prima facie valid if, after making the payment for which the tax was levied, bonds remain outstanding and the debt fund reserves do not exceed the following year's payments. The county clerk shall keep on file and available for public inspection all such information for a period of three years. The clerk shall, within three days of receipt, forward a copy of the notice of a taxing authority's tax rate ceiling and proposed tax rate and any substantiating data to the state auditor. The state auditor shall examine such information and return to the county clerk his findings as to compliance of the tax rate ceiling with this section and as to compliance of any proposed tax rate for debt service with Missouri law. The county clerk shall forward a copy of the auditor's findings to the taxing authority and shall file a copy of the findings with the information received from the taxing authority. The auditor's findings are advisory for the information of the taxing authority and the public.

7. No tax rate shall be extended on the tax rolls by the county clerk unless the political subdivision has complied with the foregoing provisions of this section.

8. Whenever a taxpayer has cause to believe that a taxing authority has not complied with the provisions of this section, the taxpayer may make a formal complaint with the prosecuting attorney of the county. Where the prosecuting attorney fails to bring an action within ten days of the filing of the complaint, the taxpayer may bring a civil action under this section and institute an action as representative of a class of all taxpayers within a taxing authority if the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, if there are questions of law or fact common to the class, if the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and if the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. In any class action maintained under this section, the court may direct to the members of the class a notice to be published at least once each week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county where the civil action is commenced and in other counties within the jurisdiction of a taxing authority. The notice shall advise each member that the court will exclude him from the class if he so requests by a specified date, that the judgment, whether favorable or not, will include all members who do not request exclusion, and that any member who does not request exclusion may, if he desires, enter an appearance. In any class action brought under this section, the court, in addition to the relief requested, shall assess against the taxing authority found to be in violation of this section the reasonable costs of bringing the action, including reasonable attorney's fees, provided no attorney's fees shall be awarded any attorney or association of attorneys who receive public funds from any source for their services. Any action brought pursuant to this section shall be set for hearing as soon as practicable after the cause is at issue.

9. If in any action, including a class action, the court issues an order requiring a taxing authority to revise the tax rates as provided in this section or enjoins a taxing authority from the collection of a tax because of its failure to revise the rate of levy as provided in this section, any taxpayer paying his taxes when an improper rate is applied has erroneously paid his taxes in part, whether or not the taxes are paid under protest as provided in section 139.031, RSMo. The part of the taxes paid erroneously is the difference in the amount produced by the original levy and the amount produced by the revised levy. The township or county collector of taxes or the collector of taxes in any city shall refund the amount of the tax erroneously paid. The taxing authority refusing to revise the rate of levy as provided in this section shall make available to the collector all funds necessary to make refunds under this subsection. No taxpayer shall receive any interest on any money erroneously paid by him under this subsection. Effective in the 1994 tax year, nothing in this section shall be construed to require a taxing authority to refund any tax erroneously paid prior to or during the third tax year preceding the current tax year.

151.150. 1. For the purpose of levying school taxes, including taxes for school purposes, as defined in section 163.011, RSMo, for capital projects purposes, as authorized under section 165.011, RSMo, "and for other purposes", as defined in section 151.160, in the several counties of this state, on the distributable property of the railroad company, the several county commissions shall ascertain from the returns in the office of the county clerk the average rate of taxation levied for school purposes for capital projects purposes, and for other purposes, each separately by the several local school boards or authorities of the several school districts throughout the county.

2. The average rate for school purposes shall be ascertained by adding together the local rates of the several school districts in the county and by dividing the sum thus obtained by the whole number of districts levying a tax for school purposes. The county clerk shall cause to be charged to the railroad companies taxes for school purposes at the average rate on the proportionate value of the railroad property so certified to the county commission by the state tax commission, under the provisions of this chapter, and shall apportion the taxes for school purposes, so levied and collected, among all the school districts in his county, the same proportion that the September membership of a district, determined as provided in (1) of subdivision (8) of section 163.011, RSMo, bears to the sum of the September membership of all districts in the county[, provided that for the 1996-97 school year and each school year thereafter, funds otherwise distributed under this subsection shall be distributed pursuant to section 163.031, RSMo. For the first year in which funds otherwise distributed under this subsection are distributed pursuant to section 163.031, RSMo, such funds shall not be considered as a deduction from any school district's entitlement as determined pursuant to section 163.031, RSMo].

3. The average rate levied for capital projects purposes, and for other purposes, each separately, shall be ascertained by adding together the local rates of the several districts in the county levying a tax for capital projects purposes, or for other purposes and by dividing the sum thus obtained in each case by the whole number of districts in the county. The county clerk shall cause to be charged to the railroad companies taxes for capital projects purposes, or for other purposes, at the average rate on the proportionate value of the railroad distributable property so certified to the county commission by the state tax commission, under the provisions of this chapter, and the county commission shall apportion the taxes for capital projects purposes, or for other purposes so levied and collected, among the several school districts levying the taxes, in proportion to the amount of such taxes so levied in each of the districts.

4. All local property owned or controlled by a railroad company lying in any school district shall be taxed at the same rate as other property in the district, and the school taxes, including taxes for capital projects purposes, and for other purposes thereon, shall go to the district in which such property is situated.

163.011. As used in this chapter unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) "Adjusted gross income":

(a) "District adjusted gross income per return" shall be the total Missouri individual adjusted gross income in a school district divided by the total number of Missouri income tax returns filed from the school district as reported by the state department of revenue for the second preceding year;

(b) "State adjusted gross income per return" shall be the total Missouri individual adjusted gross income divided by the total number of Missouri individual income tax returns, of those returns designating school districts, as reported by the state department of revenue for the second preceding year;

(c) "District income factor" shall be one plus thirty percent of the difference of the district income ratio minus one, except that the district income factor applied to the portion of the assessed valuation corresponding to any increase in assessed valuation above the assessed valuation of a district as of December 31, 1994 shall not exceed a value of one;

(d) "District income ratio" shall be the ratio of the district adjusted gross income per return divided by the state adjusted gross income per return;

(2) "Average daily attendance" means the quotient or the sum of the quotients obtained by dividing the total number of hours attended in a term by resident pupils between the ages of five and twenty-one by the actual number of hours school was in session in that term. To the average daily attendance of the school term shall be added the full-time equivalent average daily attendance of summer school students. "Full-time equivalent average daily attendance of summer school students" shall be computed by dividing the total number of hours attended by all summer school pupils by the number of hours required in section 160.011, RSMo, in the school term. For purposes of determining average daily attendance under this subdivision, the term "resident pupil" shall include all children between the ages of five and twenty-one who are residents of the school district and who are attending kindergarten through grade twelve in such district. If a child is attending school in a district other than the district of residence and the child's parent is teaching in the school district which the child is attending, then such child shall be considered a resident pupil of the school district which the child is attending for such period of time when the district of residence is not otherwise liable for tuition. Average daily attendance for students below the age of five years for which a school district may receive state aid based on such attendance shall be computed as regular school term attendance unless otherwise provided by law;

(3) "District's tax rate ceiling", the highest tax rate ceiling in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year or any subsequent year. Such tax rate ceiling shall not contain any tax levy for debt service;

(4) "Eligible pupils" shall be the sum of the average daily attendance of the school term plus the product of two times the average daily attendance for summer school;

(5) "Equalized assessed valuation of the property of a school district" shall be determined by multiplying the assessed valuation of the real property subclasses specified in section 137.115, RSMo, times the percent of true value as adjusted by the department of elementary and secondary education to an equivalent sales ratio of thirty-three and one-third percent and dividing by either the percent of true value as determined by the state tax commission on or before March fifteenth preceding the fiscal year in which the valuation will be effective as adjusted by the department of elementary and secondary education to an equivalent sales ratio of thirty-three and one-third percent or the average percent of true value for the highest three of the last four years as determined and certified by the state tax commission, whichever is greater. To the equalized locally assessed valuation of each district shall be added the assessed valuation of tangible personal property. The assessed valuation of property which has previously been excluded from the tax rolls, which is being contested as not being taxable and which increases the total assessed valuation of the school district by fifty percent or more, shall not be included in the calculation of equalized assessed valuation under this subdivision;

(6) "Free and reduced lunch eligible pupil count", the number of pupils eligible for free and reduced lunch on the last Wednesday in January for the preceding school year who were enrolled as students of the district, as approved by the department in accordance with applicable federal regulations;

(7) "Guaranteed tax base" means the amount of equalized assessed valuation per eligible pupil guaranteed each school district by the state in the computation of state aid. To compute the guaranteed tax base, school districts shall be ranked annually from lowest to highest according to the amount of equalized assessed valuation per pupil. The guaranteed tax base shall be based upon the amount of equalized assessed valuation per pupil of the school district in which the ninety-fifth percentile of the state aggregate number of pupils falls during the third preceding year and shall be equal to the state average equalized assessed valuation per eligible pupil for the third preceding year times two and one hundred and sixty-seven thousandths. The average equalized assessed valuation per pupil shall be the quotient of the total equalized assessed valuation of the state divided by the number of eligible pupils;

(8) "Membership" shall be the average of (1) the number of resident full-time students and the full-time equivalent number of part-time students who were enrolled in the public schools of the district on the last Wednesday in September of the previous year and who were in attendance one day or more during the preceding ten school days and (2) the number of resident full-time students and the full-time equivalent number of part-time students who were enrolled in the public schools of the district on the last Wednesday in January of the previous year and who were in attendance one day or more during the preceding ten school days, plus the full-time equivalent number of summer school pupils. "Full-time equivalent number of part-time students" is determined by dividing the total number of hours for which all part-time students are enrolled by the number of hours in the school term. "Full-time equivalent number of summer school pupils" is determined by dividing the total number of hours for which all summer school pupils were enrolled by the number of hours required pursuant to section 160.011, RSMo, in the school term. Only students eligible to be counted for average daily attendance shall be counted for membership;

(9) "Operating levy for school purposes" means the sum of tax rates levied for teachers and incidental funds in the payment year and shall be, after all adjustments and equalization of the operating levy, no less than the minimum value required in section 163.021 for eligibility for increases in state aid as calculated pursuant to section 163.031 and no greater than a maximum value of four dollars and sixty cents per one hundred dollars assessed valuation. To equalize the operating levy, multiply the aggregate tax rates for teachers, incidental, and building funds by either the percent of true value, as determined by the state tax commission on or before March fifteenth preceding the fiscal year in which the evaluation will be effective as adjusted by the department of elementary and secondary education to an equivalent sales ratio of thirty-three and one-third percent, or the average percent of true value for the highest three of the last four years as determined and certified by the state tax commission, whichever is greater, and divide by the percent of true value as adjusted by the department of elementary and secondary education to an equivalent sales ratio of thirty-three and one-third percent, provided that for any district for which the equivalent sales ratio is equal to or greater than thirty-three and one-third percent, the equalized operating levy shall be the adjusted operating levy. For any county in which the equivalent sales ratio is less than thirty-one and two-thirds percent, the state tax commission shall conduct a second study in that county and shall use a sample at least twice as large as the one originally used. If the new ratio is higher than the original ratio provided by this subdivision, the new ratio shall be used for the purposes of this subdivision and for determining equalized assessed valuation pursuant to subdivision (5) of this section. For the purposes of calculating state aid pursuant to section 163.031, for any district which has not enacted a voluntary tax rate rollback nor increased the amount of a voluntary tax rate rollback from the previous year's amount, the tax rate used to determine a district's entitlement shall be adjusted so that any decrease in the entitlement due to a decrease in the tax rate resulting from the reassessment shall equal the decrease in the deduction for the assessed valuation of the district as a result of the change in the tax rate due to reassessment. The tax rate adjustments required under this subdivision due to reassessment shall be cumulative and shall be applied each year to determine the tax rate used to calculate the entitlement; except that whenever the actual current operating levy exceeds the tax rate calculated pursuant to this subdivision for the purpose of determining the district's entitlement, then the prior tax rate adjustments required under this subdivision due to reassessment shall be eliminated and shall not be applied in determining the tax rate used to calculate the district entitlement;

(10) "School purposes" pertains to teachers and incidental funds;

(11) "Teacher" means any teacher, teacher-secretary, substitute teacher, supervisor, principal, supervising principal, superintendent or assistant superintendent, school nurse, social worker, counselor or librarian who shall, regularly, teach or be employed for no higher than grade twelve more than one-half time in the public schools and who is certified under the laws governing the certification of teachers in Missouri;

(12) "Adjusted operating levy", the sum of tax rates for the current year for teachers and incidental funds for a school district as reported to the proper officer of each county pursuant to section 164.011, RSMo;

(13) "Current operating costs", all expenditures for instruction and support services excluding capital outlay and debt service expenditures less the revenue from federal categorical sources, food service, student activities and payments from other districts.

163.021. 1. A school district shall receive state aid for its education program only if it:

(1) Provides for a minimum of one hundred seventy-four days and one thousand forty-four hours of actual pupil attendance in a term scheduled by the board pursuant to section 160.041, RSMo, for each pupil or group of pupils, except that the board shall provide a minimum of one hundred seventy-four days and five hundred twenty-two hours of actual pupil attendance in a term for kindergarten pupils. If any school is dismissed because of inclement weather after school has been in session for three hours, that day shall count as a school day including afternoon session kindergarten students. When the aggregate hours lost in a term due to inclement weather decreases the total hours of the school term below the required minimum number of hours by more than twelve hours for all day students or six hours for one-half day kindergarten students, all such hours below the minimum must be made up in one-half day or full day additions to the term, except as provided in section 171.033, RSMo;

(2) Maintains adequate and accurate records of attendance, personnel and finances, as required by the state board of education, which shall include the preparation of a financial statement which shall be submitted to the state board of education the same as required by the provisions of section 165.111, RSMo, for districts;

(3) Levies an operating levy for school purposes of not less than one dollar and twenty-five cents after all adjustments and reductions on each one hundred dollars assessed valuation of the district;

(4) Computes average daily attendance as defined in subdivision (2) of section 163.011 as modified by section 171.031, RSMo. Whenever there has existed within the district an infectious disease, contagion, epidemic, plague or similar condition whereby the school attendance is substantially reduced for an extended period in any school year, the apportionment of school funds and all other distribution of school moneys shall be made on the basis of the school year next preceding the year in which such condition existed.

2. No school district shall receive more state aid, as calculated in section 163.031, for its education program than it received per eligible pupil for the school year 1990-91, unless it levies an operating levy for school purposes of not less than two dollars after all adjustments and reductions beginning with the tax year which commences January 1, 1993. For the 1994-95 school year and subsequent school years, no school district shall receive more state aid, as calculated under section 163.031 for its education program, exclusive of categorical add-ons, than it received per eligible pupil for the school year 1993-94, unless it has an operating levy for current school purposes of not less than two dollars and seventy-five cents after all adjustments and reductions beginning with the tax year which commences January 1, 1994; except that, beginning in the 1997-98 school year, any district which is required, pursuant to article X, section 22 of the Missouri constitution, to reduce its operating levy below the minimum tax rate otherwise required under this subsection shall not be construed to be in violation of this subsection for making such tax rate reduction. Pursuant to section 10(c) of article X of the state constitution, until but not including the 1997-1998 school year, a school district may levy the operating levy for school purposes required by this subsection if such rate does not exceed the highest tax rate in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that a school district is guaranteed to receive an amount not less than the amount the school district received per eligible pupil for the school year 1990-91. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any school district located in a county of the second classification which has a nuclear power plant located in such district or to any school district located in a county of the third classification which has an electric power generation unit with a rated generating capacity of more than one hundred fifty megawatts which is owned or operated or both by a rural electric cooperative.

3. No school district shall receive more state aid, as calculated in section 163.031, for its education program, exclusive of categorical add-ons, than it received per eligible pupil for the school year 1993-1994, if the state board of education determines that the district was not in compliance in the preceding school year with the requirements of section 163.172, until such time as the board determines that the district is again in compliance with the requirements of section 163.172.

4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall evaluate the correlation between district tax rates and district assessed valuation per pupil following each biennial property tax reassessment and shall report its findings to the governor and the general assembly by December first of the year following each reassessment. The findings shall include a calculation of the minimum required property tax rate necessary to maintain a correlation of zero or less between district property tax rate and district assessed valuation per pupil and a report of assessed valuation per pupil and district property tax rate for all districts.

5. No school district shall receive state aid, pursuant to section 163.031, if such district was not in compliance, during the preceding school year, with the requirement, established pursuant to section 160.530, RSMo, to allocate revenue to the professional development committee of the district.

6. No school district shall receive more state aid, as calculated in section 163.031, for its education program, exclusive of categorical add-ons, than it received per eligible pupil for the school year 1993-1994, if the district did not comply in the preceding school year with the requirements of subsection 7 of section 163.031.

7. No school district shall receive state aid, pursuant to section 163.031, if the district failed to make a required payment in the preceding year to the school building revolving fund pursuant to section 166.300, RSMo.

163.025. 1. Whenever the adjusted operating levy, as defined in section 163.011, of any school district is required, pursuant to article X, section 22 of the Missouri Constitution, to be reduced below the minimum tax rate required for the current school year under section 163.021, the district shall not be classified as unaccredited under section 163.023.

2. Other provisions of section 163.031, to the contrary notwithstanding, for the first two school years in which a school district's adjusted operating levy is required to be reduced below the minimum tax rate required for the current school year under section 163.021, pursuant to article X, section 22 of the Missouri Constitution, for the purpose of distribution of state aid under section 163.031, the district's equalized operating levy for school purposes shall be the greater of the current year's levy or the minimum tax rate required for the current school year under section 163.021, and the district shall not be rendered ineligible, pursuant to section 163.021, for increases in state aid distributed under section 163.031. The provisions of this subsection shall expire on July 1, 1997.

[164.073. Pursuant to section 10(c) of article X of the state constitution, a school district may levy the property tax required by subsection 2 of section 163.021, RSMo, if such tax rate does not exceed the highest tax rate in effect subsequent to the 1980 tax year.]