Missouri lawmakers are aiming to encourage school districts to operate five days a week by offering additional funding.
This year, approximately 30% of Missouri school districts only had a four-day school week. Originally, the law allowing shortened weeks was passed over a decade ago as a cost-saving measure after the recession. However, it is now being utilized as a perk to attract and retain teachers, which lawmakers want to address.
With a significant shortage of educators in the state, 168 districts have adopted a shortened week, which is an increase of 25 schools from last year and over 100 schools from the past five years.
During an exclusive interview, Gov. Mike Parson stated that the five-day school week has been successful for many years and should continue as such, despite challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new legislative package provides funding for schools and proposes changes to the education system.
The recently signed bill initially aimed to expand a voucher program that covers private school expenses. The Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account, funded by private donors receiving tax credits, may soon be available statewide. The bill also increases the cap on tax credits from $50 million to $75 million annually and raises the income threshold for qualified students from $111,000 to $166,000 for a family of four.
After extensive discussions, Senate Bill 727 evolved into a comprehensive package including provisions for charter school expansion and increasing the minimum teacher salary from $25,000 to $40,000.
One concern for districts is the funding to cover increased pay for teachers, as the mandate did not come with guaranteed funding.
Districts transitioning to a five-day week will receive additional state aid, which can be used to boost teacher salaries. Districts in cities or counties with a population exceeding 30,000 will need to seek voter approval to move to a four-day week. This requirement mainly affects districts like Independence, the largest district to recently adopt a four-day week with 14,000 students.
Former DESE Commissioner Margie Vandeven believes that the legislature’s approach to incentivizing a minimum calendar day was fair.
The Independence School District has until July 2026 to seek voter approval to continue with a four-day week.
The legislation also modifies the foundation formula, shifting from funding based on student attendance to incorporating enrollment as well.
A provision allows districts to offer increased pay to teachers filling hard-to-staff roles, with an estimated annual cost of $450 million once fully implemented.
