HB 2462 -- Open School Enrollment

Sponsor:  Dieckhaus

This bill allows, beginning with the school year starting July 1,
2011, a student currently enrolled in a public school in a
district other than the cities of Kansas City and St. Louis to
enroll in a public school in another school district.  The
student's parent or guardian must notify the child's school
district of residence and the receiving district by January 15 of
the preceding school year of the intent to change the child's
enrollment on an application prescribed by the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education.  If a parent or guardian
fails to provide notification by January 15, he or she may do so
until the third Friday in July of that calendar year if there is
good cause as specified in the bill.  An application for
enrollment may be granted at any time with the approval of the
child's school district of residence and the receiving district.

Each school district must adopt a policy for appropriate class
size and teacher-pupil ratios for all grade levels.  No district
is required to admit a student if doing so would violate its
class size and teacher-pupil ratio.  If a district denies entry
to any student, it must state the grounds for the denial.  Each
district must maintain records on the number of transfers
requested into and out of the district, the number of pupils
accepted, and the number of pupils denied.

A parent or guardian may return his or her child to the school
district of residence at a later time upon proper notification to
both districts.  If the parent or guardian returns the child to
the school district of residence, he or she cannot re-enroll the
child in the other school district but may request enrollment in
a different school district by following the procedures in the
bill.

For a student receiving special education services, a request to
enroll in another school district will only be approved if the
receiving district maintains a special education program
appropriate for the child and the enrollment would not cause the
established maximum class size to be exceeded.  A member of the
individualized education program (IEP) team in the school
district of residence must be part of the IEP team in the
receiving district for any initial planning sessions.  The board
of education of the school district of residence must pay the
receiving district the actual costs incurred in providing the
appropriate special education.

The department will calculate the per-pupil cost for the
residence and receiving districts.  If the cost is greater in the
receiving district, the board of the receiving district may
calculate an amount, not to exceed 25% of the difference between
the costs of the two districts or $1,000, whichever is less, to
be paid by the parents.  If the cost is greater in the residence
district, the board of the receiving district may calculate a
payment by the above method for the residence district to pay the
receiving district.  The school district of residence must also
pay the receiving district any other federal or state aid that
the district receives on account of the child.  If a student
enrolled in another school district moves to a different school
district during the academic year, the first school district of
residence must continue paying the receiving district for the
remainder of the school year.  The new school district of
residence must pay for any subsequent years.  The bill specifies
the calculation of a late payment fee and the withholding of the
amount if it is overdue for more than three months from a school
district of residence, certain changes of residence, and
enrollment variations that may affect eligibility for the small
schools grant.

The parent or guardian is responsible for transporting the
student to the receiving school district without reimbursement.
A district may provide transportation to and from a point on an
existing bus route if the parent or guardian transports the child
to that point.  Participation in interscholastic athletics will
be governed by the requirements and eligibility criteria and
standards of the Missouri State High School Activities
Association (MSHSAA).

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:14 pm