HB 3142 creates a new program for nonprofit organizations to operate "adult high schools" in specific Missouri counties, targeting adults facing barriers like educational disadvantages or homelessness. These schools must offer high school diplomas, industry certifications, and childcare, with strict location requirements (e.g., one per designated county type) and partnerships with postsecondary institutions. The bill sets academic standards for diplomas (matching traditional rigor without differentiating marks), allows flexible pacing, and requires schools to address student barriers like homelessness or disabilities. It also repeals and replaces existing camp licensing provisions, though the core focus is on the adult education program.
SB 971 updates Missouri's charter school enrollment rules for nonresident students. It allows charter schools to admit nonresident students under specific conditions, such as those transferring from unaccredited districts, participating in urban transfer programs, or residing in residential care facilities. The bill requires charter schools to use non-discriminatory admissions processes (prohibiting bias based on race, income, or disability), while permitting limited preferences for siblings, workplace connections, high-risk students, or those eligible for free lunch. These changes apply directly to Missouri charter schools and students seeking enrollment outside their home school district.
HB 2049 requires Missouri public elementary schools to teach cursive writing, ensuring students can produce readable cursive documents by the end of fifth grade. It mandates that each student pass a teacher-created test demonstrating proficiency in both reading and writing cursive. The law applies directly to all elementary students in Missouri school districts and charter schools, with implementation details left to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
HB 2251 establishes Missouri's "Free School Meals Program," requiring participating public, charter, and private schools to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch daily. Schools must qualify by participating in the USDA National School Lunch Program and meeting specific student eligibility thresholds. The state reimburses schools for the difference between federal meal reimbursement rates and the actual federal funds received per meal, covering up to one free breakfast and one free lunch per student each day. This program applies only to schools already enrolled in USDA meal programs with identified student poverty rates meeting federal criteria. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administers the state aid payments and sets implementation rules.
HB 1934 establishes a 15-member "College Admission and Financial Aid Letter Consistency Task Force" to create standardized forms for public colleges and universities in Missouri. The task force, appointed by specified groups including students, parents, college administrators, and counselors, must develop standard admission and financial aid letters by January 1, 2027. The standardized financial aid letter must clearly list estimated costs (tuition, fees, books, etc.), all aid types with repayment explanations, graduation rates, and a glossary of terms. This bill directly affects public Missouri colleges/universities, requiring them to adopt these standardized letters for student communications.
SB 1341 would authorize a tax credit for eligible taxpayers who pay certain educational expenses, such as tuition or qualified training costs. The bill would allow these taxpayers to reduce their state income tax liability by a specified amount based on their qualifying expenses. However, the official abstract does not specify which educational expenses qualify, the credit amount, or the exact eligibility criteria for taxpayers. As a prefiled bill (first read on 2026-01-07), it remains under consideration and has not yet become law.
SB 855 - Under this act, the State Board of Education shall convene a work group called the "Humanity Education Curriculum Framework Work Group" for purposes of developing a curriculum framework that teachers may use when teaching students in grades 6-12 about the dehumanization of marginalized groups in Missouri. The act defines "dehumanization" as the violation of a person's human rights or bodily autonomy. A "marginalized group" may include persons who have been subjected to dehumanization for reasons that may relate to their national origin, race, or sex. Members of the work group shall include, but shall not be limited to, educators or other experts in the areas of history, human rights, or social science. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall develop the curriculum framework in consultation with the work group. The act outlines the topics that the curriculum framework shall address. Such topics shall include, but shall not be limited to, a study of the dehumanization practices that have occurred in Missouri's history and the interventions that may be available to prevent such dehumanization practices in the future. The curriculum framework shall also include the story of Celia, a victim of chattel slavery and sexual violence who was executed in Missouri in 1855 for defending herself against her owner, Robert Newsom. The act describes certain marginalized groups that shall be included in the curriculum framework and awareness weeks or months with which the curriculum framework may be aligned. DESE shall conduct a pilot program to study the impact and success of the curriculum framework in consultation with the work group in up to 25 school districts or schools within a school district in the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years. All participating schools or districts shall be provided the curriculum framework and offered the opportunity to participate in the "Celia Professional Development Program for Teachers" that shall be developed by the work group and DESE. Such program shall include instructional guidance and examples of curriculum resources that are age appropriate and consistent with the curriculum framework, as described in the act. The program shall also include instructional guidance on class visits to historic sites in Missouri relating to the story of Celia's enslavement, abuse, and execution. All schools or districts that participate in the pilot program shall provide a plan of professional development to such district's or school's teachers and may voluntarily participate in the Celia Professional Development Program for Teachers. Upon the completion of the first year of the pilot program, DESE shall evaluate the success and impact of the pilot program and shall report the results of such evaluation to the General Assembly, as specified in the act. Beginning in the 2029-30 school year and in all subsequent school years, the curriculum framework and Celia Professional Development Program for Teachers shall be made available to all school districts and charter schools in the state. This act is identical to SB 21 (2025) and substantially similar to SB 1446 (2024). OLIVIA SHANNON
HB 1757 requires school districts to establish state-approved gifted education programs if 3% or more of students are identified as needing specialized services, starting in the 2024-25 school year. It mandates universal screenings for all students before third grade using multiple assessment methods (like academic achievement and creativity), prohibits using Advanced Placement courses alone for identification, and sets teacher certification requirements based on district size. Districts must also create parent notification processes and appeal procedures for gifted program eligibility decisions. The bill directly affects school districts, teachers, gifted students, and their families by standardizing how districts identify and serve gifted students.
SB 1040 would allow metropolitan school districts to seek voter approval for a 0.25% sales tax specifically to fund special educational services. The tax would be listed separately on receipts and require a majority "yes" vote in a general election. If approved, revenue would go into a dedicated trust fund, with 1% covering collection costs, and all funds must stay separate from state money. The tax cannot be imposed without voter consent and can only be used for special education programs within the district.
SB 1048 - This act creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans' Dependents Tuition Waiver" to provide college tuition waivers for the children, stepchildren, and spouses of certain veterans. The act defines an "institution" as including any state college or university or public community college that receives appropriations from the General Assembly for operating expenses and satisfies certain other conditions established in current law. A dependent of a veteran shall be eligible to receive a waiver of tuition and fees at an institution, up to a maximum that shall not exceed the amount of tuition charged a Missouri resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia for attendance, if the dependent has a parent, stepparent, or spouse who is or was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who died on active duty, died of a service-connected disability, died after discharge from the military as a result of injury or illness, is rated as permanently and totally disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or is classified as missing in action or a prisoner of war. For a dependent who is the child or stepchild of such a veteran, the act specifies that the dependent shall be under 26 years old unless the dependent serves on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, in which case the eligibility period shall be extended a maximum of five years, up to the dependent's 31st birthday. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to implement the provisions of the act. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall ensure that the application process is accessible, transparent, and efficiently administered. The Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission shall establish application procedures, determine applicants' eligibility, certify approved applicants, establish procedures for fraud prevention, and oversee program compliance and reporting, as provided in the act. The Executive Director shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to facilitate communication with institutions, ensure proper implementation of the waivers, and maintain program efficiency. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall ensure consistent implementation of the act across all institutions, develop guidelines for institutions to process tuition waivers, and coordinate with the Missouri Veterans Commission to ensure seamless communication and prevent administrative delays for eligible applicants. A tuition waiver shall be valid for one degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college and one baccalaureate degree from a state college or university. Receipt of a degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college shall precede receipt of a baccalaureate degree. A recipient of a tuition waiver shall be ineligible for the Wartime Veteran's Survivors Grant Program, the Survivors of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Program, and any other state-funded veteran-dependent tuition grant, waiver, or scholarship. A student who has previously received any such grant, waiver, or scholarship shall not be eligible to receive a tuition waiver, and a student shall not concurrently receive a tuition waiver and any other such grant, waiver, or scholarship. A recipient of a tuition waiver may transfer from one institution to another without losing entitlement to the tuition waiver. If a recipient is granted financial assistance under any other student aid program, whether public or private, the full amount of such financial assistance shall be reported to the Missouri Veterans Commission and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. This act is identical to HB 2074 (2026) substantially similar to SB 716 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON
