SB 1029: Creates and modifies provisions relating to education - Missouri

3/2/2026 - SA 2 to SS for SCS S offered & adopted (May)--(5566S04.10S) 3/10/2026 - Moot → 3/10/2026 - SA 1 to SS#2 for SCS S offered & adopted (Hough)--(5566S05.03S) 3/10/2026 - Adopted · 4 edits

MODERATE

The amendment shifts the bill's focus from a specific withholding penalty to a funding effectiveness clause. It mandates that several key education funding programs remain inactive until specific budget items are fully appropriated and allocated in the current school year. This change ensures that critical financial resources for schools, including foundation payments and teacher salary grants, are only implemented once the legislature has confirmed the necessary funding is available.

Scope change

The scope of the amendment broadened from a single line item regarding withholding penalties to a comprehensive set of conditions affecting multiple funding streams across different sections of the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Removed a provision requiring a 10% withholding penalty after the word 'withhold'.

Added a second set of identical funding conditions to a different section of the bill regarding school locations.

TIMELINE

Added a new requirement delaying the effectiveness of the section until specific funding is appropriated.

FISCAL

Specified that foundation formula payments, state aid transportation, and teacher baseline salary grants must be fully funded before the bill takes effect.

3/2/2026 - SA 1 to SS for SCS S offered & adopted (Nurrenbern)--(5566S04.01S) 3/10/2026 - Moot → 3/2/2026 - SA 2 to SS for SCS S offered & adopted (May)--(5566S04.10S) 3/10/2026 - Moot · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the target section from a detailed financial transparency requirement for charter schools to a specific modification regarding state aid withholding. The new language allows the department to withhold up to ten percent of state aid for the current school year if a charter school violates the section, whereas the previous text outlined extensive rules for maintaining a public financial ledger.

Scope change

The scope of the amendment shifted from establishing a comprehensive financial transparency and reporting framework for charter schools to a narrower provision focused solely on the penalty mechanism for non-compliance.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted extensive requirements mandating that charter schools maintain a searchable, machine-readable financial ledger on their websites, including specific data fields, update frequencies, and historical record-keeping rules.

Removed provisions requiring the department to provide standardized templates, guidance, and a public compliance dashboard for financial ledger management.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the enforcement mechanism to allow the department to withhold up to ten percent of state aid for the current school year if a charter school violates the section.

TECHNICAL

Updated the amendment to target a different section of the bill (Section 162.192 on Page 11 instead of Section 67.5420 on Page 8).

5566S.03C - Senate Committee Substitute → 3/2/2026 - SA 1 to SS for SCS S offered & adopted (Nurrenbern)--(5566S04.01S) 3/10/2026 - Moot · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the subject of financial transparency requirements from public school districts to charter schools. This shift ensures that charter schools must maintain public financial ledgers, adhere to specific reporting timelines, and allow for public complaints regarding non-compliance, mirroring the obligations previously held by school districts.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include charter schools, replacing the previous focus on school districts as the primary entities subject to these financial disclosure rules.

SCOPE

Replaced references to 'school districts' with 'charter schools' throughout the text to apply financial transparency requirements to charter schools instead of public school districts.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements for charter schools to maintain a searchable, machine-readable financial ledger on their public websites with specific data fields.

Added a requirement for charter schools to post debt obligations in a separate section of their financial ledger.

ENFORCEMENT

Established a new process for the public to file complaints against charter schools for financial violations and authorized the department to withhold state aid for non-compliance.

5566S.01I - Introduced → 5566S.03C - Senate Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to replace a single section requiring school districts to post financial ledgers with two new, more detailed sections. The changes expand the requirement from a simple public ledger to a searchable, machine-readable database with specific data fields, update frequency, and historical retention rules. It also adds new enforcement mechanisms, including the ability to withhold state aid for non-compliance and a formal process for public complaints.

Scope change

The bill now repeals the existing Section 162.821 and enacts two new sections, one for the financial ledger requirements and one for election records, effectively updating the statutory framework for school district financial transparency.

REQUIREMENT

The definition of a 'financial ledger' was expanded to require a searchable, machine-readable database that is free to access and downloadable in standard formats like CSV and Excel.

New specific data fields were mandated for the ledger, including transaction dates, amounts, revenue/expenditure designations, and specific accounting codes (fund, function, object), along with vendor names and descriptions.

The bill now requires school districts to update the ledger at least monthly and retain historical data for at least five prior fiscal years.

Requirements were added to post debt obligations in a separate section of the ledger, detailing balances, issuance dates, repayment schedules, and debt service percentages.

ENFORCEMENT

New enforcement provisions allow the state department to withhold state aid from non-compliant districts and establish a formal process for the public to file complaints.

Creates and modifies provisions relating to education

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