Weekly Update

April 5, 2024

Local election results reveal a cooling climate

Incumbent and union-endorsed school board candidates largely prevailed as voters cast ballots in local elections across Missouri this week. In what may be a sign of cooling temperatures in the culture wars, voters in the Francis Howell School District in St. Charles County elected retired teacher Carolie Owens and pastor Steven Blair, both champions of eliminating partisan politics from school governance.

Voters also rejected conservative-branded candidates in other races across the St. Louis region. Local radio host Marc Cox endorsed a slate of 13 candidates to challenge a “woke agenda pushed by administrators.” None of his picks prevailed.

The Missouri National Education Association (MNEA), a union representing 32,000 teachers and school staff across the Show-Me State, touted an 83% success rate of endorsed candidates in this year’s election.

In Springfield, home to the state’s largest school district with 25,000 students, political action committees raised more than $200,000 to support candidates for the three available seats. The United Springfield PAC, which advocates for non-partisan school boards, endorsed two winners (Susan Provance and Danielle Kincade). The Back on Track America PAC, which advocates for a return to biblical values, endorsed one winner (Incumbent Dr. Maryam Mohammadkan.)

In the Independence School District, the candidates differed on the district's move to a four-day school week, putting the future of a board that backed Superintendent Dale Herl's decision-making in question. However, it appears that despite the defeat of current board president Eric Knipp, Herl will maintain support by a narrow margin.

In Lee’s Summit, a six-way race for two open seats resulted in the defeat of current board president Rodrick King Sparks (MNEA endorsed). The winners were Stacie Meyers (MNEA endorsed) and Bill Haley, supported by We the People of Eastern Jackson County and the Abundant Life Church.

Former Hickman Mills School District board president Carol Graves also suffered a defeat. Alvin Brooks, a prominent civil rights leader known for founding the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime in Kansas City, won against incumbent Carol Graves. Brooks, who has a strong community presence and previously served as president of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, will serve a one-year term. Ann Coleman, the incumbent, and Bonnaye Mims, a former board member, were elected to three-year terms.

Earlier this month, the Journal of Education, the oldest educational publication in the country, published a study titled "Divisive Issues" and Collateral Damage: The Evolving Needs of Teachers Entrenched in the Culture War, which examines teacher preparation needs in places where restriction legislation exists, the findings suggest that clear guidance and better training is needed which school boards can help provide. As one study participant shared, "It's getting to be open season on teachers right now."

About Aligned

Aligned is the only state-wide non-profit, nonpartisan business group working in Kansas and Missouri on educational issues impacting the full development of our children, from supporting high-quality early learning to solid secondary programs that provide rigorous academic programs and real-world learning opportunities.

Our vision is that our public education systems in Kansas and Missouri have the resources and flexibility to prepare students to pursue the future of their choice.

We are currently focused on education policies that will strengthen early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and school finance reform.

Learn more about our work.

Missouri News

Astronomical event to eclipse legislative work in House on Monday

The House is taking April 8th off so lawmakers can enjoy a few moments out of the sun. Much of southeast Missouri lies in the path of the Solar Eclipse, which will occur on April 8th. House members plan on traveling to the state's southeast region to participate in several local events and to experience the total eclipse. The Senate plans on conducting business as usual.

Use this tool to look up your address and see what the Eclipse will look like from wherever you'll be.

The legislature also had last Monday off due to the Easter Holiday, resulting in a short week. House members spent most of their floor time Perfecting and Third Reading the 17 budget bills. On Wednesday, the Senate spent over nine hours debating a bill to halt the development of a proposed landfill in the Raymore area. The debate pitted area senators who want to protect property values against others who consider this a property rights issue involving the landfill developers. In the end, the bill was laid over without a conclusion. On Thursday, the Senate Third Read and sent to the House nine Senate bills, including two proposed constitutional amendments.

House Committee Activity

Education Reform - On Tuesday, the House Special Committee on Education Reform passed SB 727 (Koenig), an education omnibus bill that, among other things, increases the percentage of low-income students who can be counted for school districts to provide early childhood education to children in the year prior to Kindergarten from 4% to 8%, by a vote of 6-2.

Accountability Measures in Schools - On Wednesday, the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee passed HB 2184 (Haffner), which modifies school accountability metrics to emphasize student growth and achievement for public and public charter schools in the state by a vote of 12-2.

Individualized Education Plans (IEP) - On Wednesday, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee passed HB 1663 (Peters), which requires written parental consent for any modification of a student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that differs more than 25% from the originally agreed-upon IEP as approved by a student's IEP team and parent or guardian, by a vote of 16-0.

Education Stabilization Fund - On Wednesday, the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee heard HB 1758 (Pollitt), which proposes to establish an "education stabilization fund" within the state treasury subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. For any fiscal year that revenue collections fall below the consensus calculation estimate on which the appropriation for public education is based, the Governor may transfer funds to the foundation formula.

Teacher Salary Fund - On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee passed HB 1810 (Riggs), which creates the "Matching Grants for Teachers Plan" to match available state funds invested in a state-treasurer-administered account with individual district reserve funds of up to $1 million for any school district wishing to draw dollars down for the purpose of increasing teacher salaries.

Senate Committee Activity

Instruction on the Dehumanization of Marginalized Communities - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 1446 (Williams), which requires DESE to develop a curriculum framework on the history of dehumanization of marginalized communities, with a specific emphasis on the violation of a person's human rights or bodily autonomy and members of communities who have been subjected to dehumanization for reasons such as their national origin, race, or sex.

St. Louis County Early Childhood Tax - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 1447 (Williams), which allows St. Louis County to impose a retail sales tax of up to .25% to fund early childhood education programs.

Distribution of Sexual Materials to Students - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 950 (Brattin), which classifies the distribution of sexual materials in schools as a Class A Misdemeanor for any person employed or affiliated in an official capacity within a public or public charter school in the state who knowingly distributes, provides access to, or otherwise encourages the viewing of material which depicts or describes sexual activity in a patently offensive manner or is predominantly designed to appeal to an individual's prurient interests to a student.

Youth Employment - On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children heard SB 1057 (Schroer), which bill repeals a requirement for children between the ages of 14 and 18 to obtain a work certificate issued by a government entity as a condition of employment, includes certain regulations for the employment of children in the entertainment industry and requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to develop a standardized permission document for parent or guardian consent of any individual between the ages of 14 and 16 who are employed annually.

Childcare Tax Credits - On Thursday, the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee passed HB 1488 (Shields), establishing 3 new tax credit programs to incentivize childcare options in the state.

Reports

Read our full, unabridged legislative report here.

See all tracked legislation here.

Budget Update

The House finished crafting its version of the $50.7 billion FY25 budget this week, which contains $1.9 billion less than the Governor’s recommendation. On Tuesday, the House debated the budget for nine hours before finally approving the 17 appropriation bills.

Members filed over 400 appropriation amendments and adopted 109 of them. Some of the failed amendments included restoring Governor Parson’s recommendation of a 3% increase in funding for colleges and universities rather than keeping the committee recommendation of a 2% increase, increasing rates for services for people with disabilities through centers for independent living, cutting children’s health premiums, and removing the cap on a key variable that determines how much money public schools receive.

Full funding for the PK-12 foundation formula remains intact.

The Senate will now begin crafting its version of the budget. Since the Senate does not have the same balancing rule as the House, we expect them to make significant changes. The delay in the House leaves only five weeks to mark up the bills, debate them before the full Senate, and work out the differences with the House before the constitutional deadline of May 10th.

Revenue Update

State Budget Director Dan Haug announced that net general revenue collections for March 2024 declined 6.4% compared to those for March 2023, from $959.7 million last year to $898.6 million this year. Net general revenue collections for the 2024 fiscal year-to-date increased 0.5% compared to March 2023, from $9.27 billion last year to $9.32 billion this year.

In other news

Aligned Priority Bills Report for Missouri

SB 727 is the bill to watch going forward as it includes numerous education-related provisions and Aligned policy priorities.

Early Childhood Education and Childcare

Free and voluntary Pre-K for all students who qualify for free- and reduced lunch

HB 1486 (Shields) - Referred to Senate - Select Committee on Empowering Parents and Children - 3/28/24. NO CHANGE
SB 871 (Eslinger) -Removed from Senate Hearing Agenda - Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children. 3/26/24. NO CHANGE
SB 727 (Koenig) - Education omnibus with ESA's as underlying bill and Pre-K expansion included. Hearing in Rules-Regulatory Oversight scheduled for 4/9/24.

Childcare tax credit package

HB 1488 (Shields) - Reported Do Pass from Senate - Fiscal Oversight on 4/4/24.
SB 742 (Arthur) - Placed on Senate Informal Calendar 2/27/24. NO CHANGE.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Differentiated Pay

HB 1447 (Lewis) - Placed on Informal Calendar on 3/26/24. NO CHANGE.
SB 727 (Koenig) - Education omnibus with ESA's as underlying bill and Pre-K expansion included. Hearing in Rules-Regulatory Oversight scheduled for 4/9/24.

School Finance Reform

Alternative Poverty Metric

SB 1080 (Arthur) - referred to Senate - Select Committee on Empowering Parents and Children on 1/25/24. NO CHANGE.

Other education legislation

Open Enrollment

HB 1989 (Pollitt) - Re-Referred to Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children on 3/25/24.

Accountability Measures

HB 2184 (Haffner) - Voted Do Pass as substituted from in House -Elementary and Secondary Education on 4/3/24
SB 1366 (Trent) - Voted Do Pass as substituted. 2/21/24. NO CHANGE.

See the status of all Aligned priority bills here.

Kansas News

Deal or No Deal

What a whirlwind of a week it has been! From fleeting agreements to sudden setbacks, the theme seemed to be "deal or no deal" across various fronts. Today is the last day of the regular session, so here's where things stand.

No tax bill or education budget is currently on the table. Resolutions are potentially deferred until the commencement of the veto session on April 29th.

Stay tuned as more updates and insights are on the horizon.

No Deal: Senate Rejects K-12 Education Funding Bill

The Kansas State Senate dealt a blow to the K-12 education funding bill, SB 387, by rejecting it and returning it to a conference committee. This move follows the bill's passage in the House earlier in the day, albeit with a narrow 65-58 vote.

The Senate's rejection stems from the bill's handling, particularly regarding special education funding. While SB 387 had a substantial $6.6 billion budget allocation for education, including $77.5 million for special education, it faced resistance in the Senate chamber.

Senate Education Committee Chair Molly Baumgardner wanted more time for the Senate to adequately review and amend the bill. She added that misinformation circulating about it contributed to the Senate's rejection.

One of the primary points of contention revolves around a provision in SB 387 that ties $75 million of future special education funding to modifications in excess cost calculations. While this stipulation aims for fiscal responsibility, Senate members are concerned about the potential impact on special education programs.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes emphasized the need for a more transparent and straightforward funding bill devoid of contentious policy attachments.

Lawmakers must return to the drawing board to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Negotiations are expected to resume in the conference committee.

No Deal: Tax Plan Compromise Hits Roadblock in Kansas House

Efforts to compromise on a Kansas tax plan faced a setback. The House rejected the proposed deal and sent it back to a conference committee. This move effectively ended hopes for a resolution before the end of the regular legislative session.

The proposed plan cut taxes on income, property, and Social Security while expanding tax credits for childcare. However, House members, Republicans, and Democrats united in a voice vote to derail the plan, indicating overwhelming opposition.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins said these impasses typically require time to resolve. The issue is deferred to a wrap-up session scheduled for the end of April, as there are no plans for the conference committee to reconvene on Friday.

The House's rejection followed the Senate's approval of a tax plan costing $1.4 billion over three years, meeting the financial constraints set by Governor Laura Kelly to avoid jeopardizing taxpayer services. However, House members favored a different plan they had passed earlier, which the Senate sidelined, leading to a new compromise.

Critics of the proposed compromise argued that it fell short of delivering significant tax cuts and needed more benefits for low-income taxpayers than the original House bill. Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens expressed disappointment, emphasizing the need for a tax bill that genuinely benefits Kansans.

House Democrats also voiced frustration, with Democrat State Rep. Vic Miller criticizing the Senate's handling of the House tax bill, alleging disrespect for the House's position. Governor Kelly, who had advocated for a childcare tax credit in the final package, attempted to garner support for the compromise plan among House Democrats but faced challenges.

Despite the setback, Governor Kelly viewed the compromise as a significant achievement, shifting Republicans from pursuing a single-rate tax structure. She urged Democrats to embrace the compromise, emphasizing its alignment with their objectives.

Key 2024 Legislative Deadlines

April 29 - Veto Session begins

In other news

Opinion: Kansas school finance bill would ‘permanently underfund’ special education

School districts across Kansas facing budget challenges

Committee reaches agreement of Office of Child Advocate

Kansas Children's Discovery Center will expand with building addition

Will Chiefs move to Kansas? Effort to lure team underway after failed vote

GOP leadership agrees to tax cut package, says Kelly will sign

Aligned members lead conference panel

This week, Aligned was part of a panel that headlined the annual C3KC conference sponsored by the Junior League of Kansas City. This year's theme was "Spark Change for a Better Kansas City," it addressed workforce empowerment, foster care transformation, culturally intelligent healthcare, and opportunities in early care and education. See the program here.

Aligned Board members Tyler Nottberg and David Oliver kicked off the event by moderating a panel discussion with Torree Pederson and others about creative and meaningful ways to find common ground and build partnerships. The day's takeaway was that Kansas City needs system change, but collaboration from all stakeholders is required to ensure success and prosperity.

As Peter Frampton says, "Show Me the Way"...and you can catch him tonight in Kansas City at the Midland!

Rock on..