JEFFERSON CITY — A Republican-led school choice effort is fizzling in the waning hours of the Legislature’s annual session, potentially leaving supporters to regroup for another run at the controversial issue next year.
With time ticking down toward Friday’s scheduled adjournment, Republicans acknowledged that a plan allowing students to transfer to school districts where they don’t live is on life support amid pushback by education groups.
After the open enrollment scheme narrowly won approval in the House in March, backers in the Senate added some sweeteners designed to secure more votes, including raising base pay for teachers to $38,000 annually and requiring school districts in larger cities to hold a public vote if they want to move to a four-day week.
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But that hasn’t gotten it over the finish line after some Republican balked at the idea of students being able to leave their home districts.
“I’m not terribly optimistic given how the Senate is operating,” said Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, who is the architect of the legislation. “If the Senate was operating normally, I’d say there is a chance but it is still a longshot.”
The GOP-controlled Senate has been mired in a major slowdown this week, led primarily by Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who is trying to force the House to pass some of his initiatives by stalling action in the upper chamber.
While that has gummed up progress in the Senate, the school choice push does not have a record of success after legislation similar to Koenig’s bills also died in the Senate in 2021 and 2022.
“I don’t know that there is any path forward. I’m frustrated to say the least,” said Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, who spent 34 years as a public school administrator and sponsored the House version.
The proposal would allow districts to limit the number of students transferring out to 3% of the district’s previous year’s enrollment. And districts wouldn’t be required to accept students under the program.
Pollitt said he is surprised that there is opposition to a program that would only affect a small percentage of students.
“The scare tactics on a bill that limits the program to 3% are just disappointing,” he said.
Pollitt said if a bill somehow emerges from the Senate, he’s unsure whether any new provisions will have the support needed to pass again in the House.
The wide-ranging education measure also includes a provision prohibiting lawsuits against a school district that bars transgender students from participating in sports.
The Senate version also creates an $80 million “Parent Public School Choice Fund” to cover special education and transportation costs.
Opponents say the bill would leave certain school districts behind, but proponents said the program would encourage competition and force lagging districts to improve.
Opponents also say the proposal could pose special challenges in the St. Louis metropolitan area. St. Louis County alone has 22 separate school districts, including some of the state’s richest and poorest.
The legislation is House Bill 827.