HB 1846, the "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Screening Act," requires Missouri public and private K-12 schools to implement cardiac screening protocols for student athletes starting in the 2027-28 school year. It mandates annual educational materials about sudden cardiac arrest warning signs for students, parents, and coaches; requires signed acknowledgment forms confirming review of these materials; and establishes specific cardiovascular prescreening during physical exams using nationally recognized guidelines. The prescreening must include personal/family history and physical checks for heart conditions, with positive findings requiring cardiologist referrals. The bill also requires coaches to complete annual cardiac training aligned with CPR/AED protocols and directs health officials to publish annual reports tracking screenings and referrals. This directly affects all student athletes in Missouri schools participating in athletic activities.
HB 2197 modifies how school principals, assistant principals, and superintendents are evaluated and contracted. It requires annual performance evaluations using student growth data and research-based tools, with written evaluations maintained in personnel files. The bill mandates school districts to notify building-level administrators of contract renewal or nonrenewal by February 15, with automatic renewal if notice is missed, and restricts nonrenewal to specific "for cause" reasons like poor performance or policy violations. Administrators facing nonrenewal gain due process rights, including written reasons, a hearing, and a 30-day school board decision.
SB 1029 requires all public school districts to create and maintain a publicly accessible website showing every dollar they receive (from state/local funding, grants, etc.) and spend (on staff, supplies, operations, etc.). This directly affects school districts by mandating a new online financial transparency tool for parents, taxpayers, and community members. The key provision is a single, real-time digital record replacing current manual or fragmented reporting methods. The bill does not alter funding amounts or spending priorities, only the method of disclosing financial information.
HB 1704, the Education Freedom Act, changes how public schools in Missouri are assessed by requiring a statewide system focused on practical skills like problem-solving and creativity (not rote memorization). It mandates that school districts create their own local assessment systems tied to their curriculum, developed with community input, and used for meaningful academic feedback. The bill also allows schools meeting high performance standards for three years to receive "Outstanding Schools Waivers," exempting them from certain state testing and classification rules. Test results from the statewide system may only be used for federal compliance and school performance ratings, not for classifying school districts.
SB 1383 requires all elementary schools in the state to implement an agricultural education program that was previously tested as a pilot. This bill directly affects every public elementary school and its students by mandating the inclusion of agricultural education in their curriculum. The key provision is the statewide expansion of the pilot program, moving it from a limited trial to a required statewide standard. The bill does not specify curriculum details or funding mechanisms, only the requirement for implementation.
SB 1045 - Under this act, the State Board of Education shall require that the history curriculum taught in the 7th through 12th grades include certain topics relating to Native American and African American history, as described in the act. This act is similar to SB 209 (2025), SB 1103 (2024), HB 1645 (2024), SB 273 (2023), HB 66 (2023), SB 950 (2022), and HB 1776 (2022). OLIVIA SHANNON
HB 1767, the "Missouri Educators and Parental Empowerment and Rights Act," establishes specific rights for parents and teachers in Missouri public schools. It grants parents the right to access curricula, review school records, receive information about teachers and school data collection, and visit schools during regular hours. Teachers are granted rights including protection from physical abuse or threats, freedom of speech, guaranteed preparation time, and a safe teaching environment. School districts must adopt policies ensuring transparency - such as timely safety incident notifications to parents and clear procedures for parent visits - to support these rights. The bill directly affects parents of K-12 students and school staff in Missouri’s public school districts.
SJR 69 proposes amending the state constitution to explicitly guarantee parents the right to participate in and direct their children's education without government interference. This constitutional change would directly affect parents and students in public schools by establishing a fundamental right to educational decisions. The key mechanism is adding this parental right to the state constitution, requiring voter approval after legislative passage. It does not create new school policies but would alter the constitutional framework governing education. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 3 sentences as requested.)
HB 1800 modifies Missouri's property tax system by changing the inflation-based cap on how much local governments (cities, counties, school districts) can increase property tax rates annually. It revises the calculation for the "inflationary growth factor," requiring political subdivisions to adjust tax rates to maintain the same revenue as the previous year when property values change, but within a new, lower cap on rate increases. This directly affects local governments that collect property taxes, as they must recalibrate levies to match revenue from the prior year while adhering to the updated inflation limit. The bill replaces the existing cap with a revised formula to prevent excessive annual tax rate hikes tied to property value changes.
HB 2534 requires all Missouri teacher education programs to include at least three credit hours of coursework on social and emotional learning (SEL) and social work in education. It also mandates that licensed teachers complete at least three hours of annual professional development in these areas through school district training. The bill directly affects teacher training institutions, current educators, and school districts by establishing concrete requirements for both initial teacher preparation and ongoing professional development. These provisions aim to integrate SEL and social work skills into educator training and practice, with specific credit hour and training hour requirements.
