SB 898 - This act provides that a special district called an "early education district" may be established in St. Louis County for purposes of providing free public prekindergarten programs for children in the year before kindergarten eligibility. An early education district may establish schools and programs for eligible children within any school district in the county. The school districts in St. Louis County shall continue providing prekindergarten services to eligible children who reside in the county until the resources of the early education district are sufficient to permit its assuming such responsibilities. The curriculum of an early education district shall be developmentally appropriate and aligned with the Missouri Early Learning Standards and other standards specified in the act. An early education district shall comply with any accountability metrics for early childhood education established by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and shall provide reasonable assistance to DESE in the development of any such accountability metrics. DESE shall inspect all programs established by an early education district. Upon DESE's approval, and upon the levy of an initial property tax for the early education district, the district shall receive state aid as specified in the act, and all teachers and other personnel of the early education district shall be eligible for Career Ladder and retirement allowances in the same manner as other public school employees are eligible for Career Ladder and retirement allowances under current law. (Section 162.2000) When the voters of St. Louis County desire to form an early education district, a petition signed by voters of the county shall be submitted to the Board of Election Commissioners as specified in the act. Within 30 days of receipt of such petition, the Board of Election Commissioners shall verify the signatures and cause the proposal to be submitted to the voters of the county at the next general municipal election using ballot language provided in the act. When a new early education district is organized, it shall be a body corporate and political subdivision of the state. An early education district may sue and be sued, levy and collect taxes within the limitations of the Constitution of Missouri and the provisions of the act, issue bonds, and possess the same corporate powers as seven-director school districts, other than urban districts. (Section 162.2005) The board of education of an early education district shall perform the same duties and be subject to the same liabilities as the board of a seven-director school district, other than an urban district, acting under the general school laws of the state of Missouri. The act outlines certain powers that the board of education shall have, such as the power to employ teachers and other personnel necessary to provide prekindergarten programs for eligible children. The board shall also have the power to develop a rolling five-year plan for the operation and management of the early education district, as provided in the act. (Section 162.2015) Members of the board of education of an early education district shall be elected by the voters of the district in municipal elections conducted in accordance with the state's election laws. Each qualified candidate for the board of education shall be a voter of the early education district who has resided within the state for at least one year preceding the election and who is at least 24 years of age. For the initial election of board members, all candidates shall file their declarations of candidacy with the secretary of the State Board of Education. For all subsequent elections, candidates for the board shall file their declarations of candidacy with the board of education of the early education district. Board members shall serve staggered three-year terms as specified in the act. Any vacancy occurring in the unexpired term of office of any board member shall be filled in a manner described in the act. Members of the board shall be prohibited from certain activities, such as accepting any contract or procurement in which that board member has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, unless certain conditions are met. (Section 162.2025) The initial tax imposed on property subject to the taxing power of an early education district shall not exceed the annual rate of 52 cents on each $100 assessed valuation, which tax rate shall be used to fund such district's prekindergarten programs. Increases in the tax rate may be made with voter approval in the same manner as provided under current law for other school districts. The taxes levied by an early education district shall not be included when determining the average school levy for the other school districts in St. Louis County. The taxes levied by the early education district shall be collected in the same manner as general county taxes. (Section 162.2035) This act is identical to SB 233 (2025) and similar to SB 1508 (2024). OLIVIA SHANNON