SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 2182

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DAVIS, RANSDALL AND RELFORD (Co-sponsors).

Read 1^st time March 14, 2002, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

5031L.01I

AN ACT

To repeal section 167.131, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to payment of tuition and transportation by school districts not maintaining an accredited school.

Section A. Section 167.131, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 167.131, to read as follows:

167.131. 1. The board of education of each district in this state that does not maintain an accredited school pursuant to the authority of the state board of education to classify schools as established in section 161.092, RSMo, shall pay the tuition of and provide transportation consistent with the provisions of section 167.241, RSMo, for each pupil resident therein who attends an accredited school in another district of the same or an adjoining county; provided, however, that the board of education of a school district that does not provide grade levels 9 to 12 within the boundaries of the district shall pay the tuition of and provide transportation consistent with the provisions of section 167.241, for each pupil resident therein who attends an accredited high school in an adjoining school district.

2. The rate of tuition to be charged by the district attended and paid by the sending district is the per pupil cost of maintaining the district's grade level grouping which includes the school attended. The cost of maintaining a grade level grouping shall be determined by the board of education of the district [but in no case shall it exceed all amounts spent for teachers' wages, incidental purposes, debt service, maintenance and replacements. The term "debt service", as used in this section, means expenditures for the retirement of bonded indebtedness and expenditures for interest on bonded indebtedness] subject to the conditions set out in this subsection. Per pupil cost of the grade level grouping shall be determined by dividing the cost of maintaining the grade level grouping by the average daily pupil attendance. Each receiving district shall disclose to the sending district the basis upon which the tuition calculation is made, clearly identifying the elements that make up the grade level grouping. The receiving districts shall not include federal impact aid, attendance enforcement costs, administrative costs relating to the board of education, or executive administration in determining the per pupil cost of the grade level grouping. No receiving district shall increase its tuition charged to a K-8 school district from one year to the next in excess of the percentage increase of the receiving district's state school aid per pupil. If there is disagreement as to the amount of tuition to be paid, the facts shall be submitted to the state board of education, and its decision in the matter shall be final. Subject to the limitations of this section, each pupil shall be free to attend the public school of his or her choice.

Missouri House of Representatives