160.545. A+ school program established--purpose--rules--variable fund match requirement--waiver of rules and regulations, requirement--reimbursement for higher education costs for students--evaluation
A+ school program established--purpose--rules--variable fund matchrequirement--waiver of rules and regulations,requirement--reimbursement for higher education costs forstudents--evaluation--reimbursement for two-year schools.
160.545. 1. There is hereby established within the department ofelementary and secondary education the "A+ Schools Program" to beadministered by the commissioner of education. The program shall consistof grant awards made to public secondary schools that demonstrate acommitment to ensure that:
(1) All students be graduated from school;
(2) All students complete a selection of high school studies that ischallenging and for which there are identified learning expectations; and
(3) All students proceed from high school graduation to a college orpostsecondary vocational or technical school or high-wage job with workplace skill development opportunities.
2. The state board of education shall promulgate rules andregulations for the approval of grants made under the program to schoolsthat:
(1) Establish measurable districtwide performance standards for thegoals of the program outlined in subsection 1 of this section; and
(2) Specify the knowledge, skills and competencies, in measurableterms, that students must demonstrate to successfully complete anyindividual course offered by the school, and any course of studies whichwill qualify a student for graduation from the school; and
(3) Do not offer a general track of courses that, upon completion,can lead to a high school diploma; and
(4) Require rigorous coursework with standards of competency in basicacademic subjects for students pursuing vocational and technical educationas prescribed by rule and regulation of the state board of education; and
(5) Have a partnership plan developed in cooperation and with theadvice of local business persons, labor leaders, parents, andrepresentatives of college and postsecondary vocational and technicalschool representatives, with the plan then approved by the local board ofeducation. The plan shall specify a mechanism to receive information on anannual basis from those who developed the plan in addition to seniorcitizens, community leaders, and teachers to update the plan in order tobest meet the goals of the program as provided in subsection 1 of thissection. Further, the plan shall detail the procedures used in the schoolto identify students that may drop out of school and the interventionservices to be used to meet the needs of such students. The plan shalloutline counseling and mentoring services provided to students who willenter the work force upon graduation from high school, addressapprenticeship and intern programs, and shall contain procedures for therecruitment of volunteers from the community of the school to serve inschools receiving program grants.
3. A school district may participate in the program irrespective ofits accreditation classification by the state board of education, providedit meets all other requirements.
4. By rule and regulation, the state board of education may determinea local school district variable fund match requirement in order for aschool or schools in the district to receive a grant under the program.However, no school in any district shall receive a grant under the programunless the district designates a salaried employee to serve as the programcoordinator, with the district assuming a minimum of one-half the cost ofthe salary and other benefits provided to the coordinator. Further, noschool in any district shall receive a grant under the program unless thedistrict makes available facilities and services for adult literacytraining as specified by rule of the state board of education.
5. For any school that meets the requirements for the approval of thegrants authorized by this section and specified in subsection 2 of thissection for three successive school years, by August first following thethird such school year, the commissioner of education shall present a planto the superintendent of the school district in which such school islocated for the waiver of rules and regulations to promote flexibility inthe operations of the school and to enhance and encourage efficiency in thedelivery of instructional services in the school. The provisions of otherlaw to the contrary notwithstanding, the plan presented to thesuperintendent shall provide a summary waiver, with no conditions, for thepupil testing requirements pursuant to section 160.257 in the school.Further, the provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, theplan shall detail a means for the waiver of requirements otherwise imposedon the school related to the authority of the state board of education toclassify school districts pursuant to subdivision (9) of section 161.092,RSMo, and such other rules and regulations as determined by thecommissioner of education, except such waivers shall be confined to theschool and not other schools in the school district unless such otherschools meet the requirements of this subsection. However, any waiverprovided to any school as outlined in this subsection shall be void on Junethirtieth of any school year in which the school fails to meet therequirements for the approval of the grants authorized by this section asspecified in subsection 2 of this section.
6. For any school year, grants authorized by subsections 1 to 3 ofthis section shall be funded with the amount appropriated for this program,less those funds necessary to reimburse eligible students pursuant tosubsection 7 of this section.
7. The commissioner of education shall, by rule and regulation of thestate board of education and with the advice of the coordinating board forhigher education, establish a procedure for the reimbursement of the costof tuition, books and fees to any public community college or vocational ortechnical school or within the limits established in subsection 9 of thissection for any two-year private vocational or technical school for anystudent:
(1) Who has attended a public high school in the state for at leastthree years immediately prior to graduation that meets the requirements ofsubsection 2 of this section, except that students who are active dutymilitary dependents who, in the school year immediately precedinggraduation, meet all other requirements of this subsection and areattending a school that meets the requirements of subsection 2 of thissection shall be exempt from the three-year attendance requirement of thissubdivision; and
(2) Who has made a good faith effort to first secure all availablefederal sources of funding that could be applied to the reimbursementdescribed in this subsection; and
(3) Who has earned a minimal grade average while in high school asdetermined by rule of the state board of education, and other requirementsfor the reimbursement authorized by this subsection as determined by ruleand regulation of said board.
8. The commissioner of education shall develop a procedure forevaluating the effectiveness of the program described in this section.Such evaluation shall be conducted annually with the results of theevaluation provided to the governor, speaker of the house, and presidentpro tempore of the senate.
9. For a two-year private vocational or technical school to obtainreimbursements under subsection 7 of this section, the followingrequirements shall be satisfied:
(1) Such two-year private vocational or technical school shall be amember of the North Central Association and be accredited by the HigherLearning Commission as of July 1, 2008, and maintain such accreditation;
(2) Such two-year private vocational or technical school shall bedesignated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the Internal RevenueCode of 1986, as amended;
(3) No two-year private vocational or technical school shall receivetuition reimbursements in excess of the tuition rate charged by a publiccommunity college for course work offered by the private vocational ortechnical school within the service area of such college; and
(4) The reimbursements provided to any two-year private vocational ortechnical school shall not violate the provisions of article IX, section 8,or article I, section 7, of the Missouri Constitution or the firstamendment of the United States Constitution.
(L. 1993 S.B. 380 § 14, A.L. 2002 S.B. 859, A.L. 2008 H.B. 2191, A.L. 2009 H.B. 490)