Missouri lawmakers push to reinstate five-day school weeks amidst teacher shortages
Missouri lawmakers want to incentivize school districts to be in session five days a week, as nearly 30% of all districts in the state are only in session four days a week. Missouri lawmakers are pushing to reinstate five-day school weeks due to teacher shortages, as nearly 30% of all districts in the state are only in session four days a week. This comes after lawmakers passed a law allowing shortened weeks to help schools save money after the recession, but now they are using it as a perk to hire and retain teachers. The legislation includes a bill that raises teacher pay from $25,000 to $40,000 and expands a voucher program that pays for private school expenses. It also increases state aid for districts that maintain five-days school week, allowing them to raise teacher salaries. The bill also alters the foundation formula, which currently provides funding based on student attendance. The House Special Committee on Education Reform heard the legislation on Thursday.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Emily Manley and Liz Dowell in
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers want to incentivize school districts to be in session five days a week, as nearly 30% of all districts in the state are only in session four days a week.
More than a decade ago, lawmakers passed the law allowing shortened weeks to help schools save money after the recession, but now they’re using it as a perk to hire and retain teachers, something they want to stop.
In a state with a large shortage of educators, 168 districts have implemented a shortened week. That’s 25 more schools than last year and an increase of more than 100 schools in the last five years.
“It’s always tough to do these things; it seems abnormally tough in Missouri, I’ve come to find,” Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said. “At the end of the day, we’ve kind of just maintained the status quo for a really, really long time.”
“Everybody can find something they dislike, and everybody can find something that they really do like in it and it is a generational investment into public education,” Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, said. “In my perspective, we’re trying to get ahead of the next election cycle where we’re up against it and people not only try to advance anti-public education programs but tear down public education even more than what they already do, so this might be the last ship out.”
Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, sponsored Senate Bill 727, which is now in the hands of the House thanks to compromises from both sides of the aisle.
“The reality of it is that not every school can meet every need of every child and sometimes variety is good and school choice enters that variety into the education space,” Koenig said. “Almost all studies show that academic outcomes improve when you introduce choice. Also, parents are happier and kids get a better education.”
The House Special Committee on Education Reform heard the legislation Thursday that raises teacher pay from $25,000 to $40,000 and expands a voucher program that pays for private school expenses.
“Senate Bill 727 doesn’t provide funds for Christian schools; it provides funds for citizens to make that decision for their own kids,” Summit Christian Academy resource services director Shannon Miller said.
Private donors who receive tax credits fund the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account, which could soon be available across the state. Previously, the vouchers were only available in charter counties and cities with more than 30,000 residents. It also increases the cap on tax credits from $50 million to $75 million per year.
“We’re taking the program and making it statewide; we’re also increasing the threshold of qualified students to 200% of free and reduced lunch to 300%, so that takes an income level of $111,000 up to about $166,000 for a family of four,” Koenig said.
The legislation also increases state aid for districts that maintain a five-day week, allowing them to raise teacher salaries. Districts within a city or county of more than 30,000 people would be required to ask local voters if the district should move to a four-day week. This provision targets districts like Independence, which, with 14,000 students, is currently the largest district to implement the change.
“They are making them take it to the vote of the people and it’s going to cost them about $145,000 to do that,” lobbyists for the Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City and the Missouri Retired Teachers Association, Steve Carroll, said. “You could hire two master teachers for that.”
The legislation also alters the foundation formula. Currently, schools receive funding based on student attendance, but this bill would also consider enrollment.
Another provision in the bill would allow school districts to pay teachers more to fill “hard-to-staff” roles in schools. Once fully implemented, the estimated cost of the legislation is about $450 million annually.
The House committee did not vote Thursday but could as soon as next week.