JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation overhauling a Missouri school transfer law that requires struggling schools to pay for students to transfer elsewhere, despite criticism from Gov. Jay Nixon that the measure could force taxpayers to pay for private school attendance.
Officials have been working to revise the 1993 transfer law after recent decisions by the state Supreme Court upheld the requirement for unaccredited Missouri school districts to pay the costs of transferring students. House members approved the legislation 89-66 on Thursday. It passed the Senate 28-3 on Wednesday, and the measure now goes to Nixon.
The legislation would require accreditation of individual schools along with entire districts, and allow transfers by students who have spent at least one semester at an unaccredited school within an unaccredited district. Students first would transfer to a better school within their home district. If that option isn't available, students could apply to attend an accredited district in the same county or a neighboring one, or go to a private school within their home district.
The private school option has attracted particular attention. It calls for unaccredited districts in St. Louis city, St. Louis County and Jackson County to pay tuition using local tax revenues. Voter approval would be required but that step would be waived for a school system that has been unaccredited for three consecutive years.
Parents need options but the private school option is the wrong direction, Nixon said earlier this week.
"Using public money for private schools would destabilize the strong foundation on which public education has stood for generations and open the flood gates to even more radical voucher schemes down the road," he said.
Senate supporters said the transfer legislation needs to be enacted because the alternative is not workable.
"A veto on this is not leadership," said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-St. Louis County.
Student transfers occurred this school year in the suburban St. Louis districts of Riverview Gardens and Normandy, and the financial strain prompted the state to approve funding to ensure Normandy made it through the current year. The Kansas City district also is unaccredited.
To address transfer costs, the legislation would make it optional for unaccredited districts to pay for transportation and it offers an incentive for the receiving districts to reduce tuition paid by unaccredited districts.
Neighboring districts that charge less than 90 percent of the amount to which they are entitled could get 10 percent from the state and those that offer an even larger discount wouldn't need to include performance data from transfer students for at least five years.
Receiving school districts could establish policies for class sizes and student-teacher ratios. They would not need to accept transfers that would violate their class size policies or force them to hire additional teachers or build more classrooms.
Local school officials would be responsible for coordinating student transfers within their school systems and regional education authorities would coordinate transfers out of unaccredited school districts.
Missouri House roll call on student transfer bill
By The Associated Press
The 89-66 roll call vote Thursday by which the Missouri House gave final approval to legislation overhauling a state law requiring unaccredited school districts to pay the costs for students to transfer to other schools.
Voting "yes" were 82 Republicans and seven Democrats.
Voting "no" were 24 Republicans and 42 Democrats.
Not voting were two Republicans and two Democrats.
REPUBLICANS VOTING YES
Sue Allen, Town and Country
Sonya Anderson, Springfield
Kevin Austin, Springfield
Kurt Bahr, O'Fallon
Jay Barnes, Jefferson City
Mike Bernskoetter, Jefferson City
T.J. Berry, Kearney
Rick Brattin, Harrisonville
Eric Burlison, Springfield
Mike Cierpiot, Lee's Summit
Steve Cookson, Poplar Bluff
Robert Cornejo, St. Peters
Stanley Cox, Sedalia
Sandy Crawford, Buffalo
Gary Cross, Lee's Summit
Paul Curtman, Pacific
Charlie Davis, Webb City
John Diehl, Town and Country
Dean Dohrman, La Monte
Kevin Engler, Farmington
Scott Fitzpatrick, Shell Knob
Tom Flanigan, Carthage
Diane Franklin, Camdenton
Keith Frederick, Rolla
Chuck Gatschenberger, Lake St. Louis
Don Gosen, Chesterfield
Casey Guernsey, Bethany
Elijah Haahr, Springfield
Marsha Haefner, St. Louis
Jim Hansen, Frankford
Ron Hicks, St. Peters
Galen Higdon, St. Joseph
Dave Hinson, St. Clair
Denny Hoskins, Warrensburg
Lincoln Hough, Springfield
Jay Houghton, Martinsburg
Thomas Hurst, Meta
Delus Johnson, St. Joseph
Caleb Jones, Columbia
Tim Jones, Eureka
Jeffery Justus, Branson
Shelley Keeney, Marble Hill
Mike Kelley, Lamar
Andrew Koenig, Manchester
Glen Kolkmeyer, Wellington
Bart Korman, High Hill
Mike Lair, Chillicothe
Bill Lant, Joplin
Mike Leara, St. Louis
Donna Lichtenegger, Jackson
Warren Love, Osceola
Steve Lynch, Waynesville
John McCaherty, High Ridge
Joe Don McGaugh, Carrollton
Jeffrey Messenger, Republic
Mike Moon, Ash Grove
Dave Muntzel, Boonville
Jim Neely, Cameron
Myron Neth, Liberty
Randy Pike, Adrian
Holly Rehder, Sikeston
Bill Rieboldt, Neosho
Tim Remole, Excello
Todd Richardson, Poplar Bluff
Jeanie Riddle, Mokane
Robert Ross, Yukon
Caleb Rowden, Columbia
Dwight Scharnhorst, St. Louis
Dave Schatz, Sullivan
Ron Schieber, Kansas City
Lindell Shumake, Hannibal
Sheila Solon, Blue Springs
Bryan Spencer, Wentzville
Rick Stream, Kirkwood
Kathy Swan, Cape Girardeau
Noel Torpey, Independence
Nathan Walker, Kirksville
Bill White, Joplin
Paul Wieland, Imperial
Kenneth Wilson, Smithville
David Wood, Versailles
Anne Zerr, St. Charles
Tim Jones, Eureka
DEMOCRATS VOTING YES
Mike Colona, St. Louis
Courtney Curtis, Berkeley
Vicki Englund, St. Louis
Penny Hubbard, St. Louis
Jeremy LaFaver, Kansas City
Jay Swearingen, Kansas City
John Wright, Rocheport
REPUBLICANS VOTING NO
Wanda Brown, Lincoln
Kathie Conway, St. Charles
Tony Dugger, Hartville
Kevin Elmer, Nixa
Sue Entlicher, Bolivar
Paul Fitzwater, Potosi
Lyndall Fraker, Marshfield
Elaine Gannon, De Soto
Jeff Grisamore, Lee's Summit
Kent Hampton, Malden
Jeanie Lauer, Blue Springs
Nick Marshall, Parkville
Rocky Miller, Tuscumbia
Chris Molendorp, Belton
Lynn Morris, Nixa
Donna Pfautsch, Harrisonville
Don Phillips, Kimberling City
Jeff Pogue, Salem
Craig Redmon, Canton
Shawn Rhoads, West Plains
Lyle Rowland, Cedarcreek
Noel Shull, Kansas City
Chrissy Sommer, St. Charles
Mike Thomson, Maryville
DEMOCRATS VOTING NO
Ira Anders, Independence
Linda Black, Desloge
Bob Burns, St. Louis
Michael Butler, St. Louis
Jon Carpenter, Kansas City
Pat Conway, St. Joseph
Randy Dunn, Kansas City
Brandon Ellington, Kansas City
Keith English, Florissant
Michael Frame, Eureka
Kimberly Gardner, St. Louis
Ben Harris, Hillsboro
Jacob Hummel, St. Louis
Chris Kelly, Columbia
Jeanne Kirkton, Webster Groves
Michele Kratky, St. Louis
Karla May, St. Louis
John Mayfield, Independence
Gail McCann Beatty, Kansas City
Tom McDonald, Independence
TJ McKenna, Festus
Kevin McManus, Kansas City
Margo McNeil, Florissant
Sue Meredith, St. Louis
Bonnaye Mims, Kansas City
Gina Mitten, St. Louis
Genise Montecillo, St. Louis
Judy Morgan, Kansas City
Mary Nichols, Maryland Heights
Charlie Norr, Springfield
Bill Otto, St. Charles
Sharon Pace, Northwoods
Josh Peters, St. Louis
Tommie Pierson, St. Louis
John Rizzo, Kansas City
Jeff Roorda, Barnhart
Joe Runions, Grandview
Ed Schieffer, Troy
Jill Schupp, Creve Coeur
Clem Smith, Velda Village Hills
Rochelle Walton Gray, Black Jack
Stephen Webber, Columbia
REPUBLICANS NOT VOTING
Doug Funderburk, St. Peters
Mark Parkinson, St. Charles
DEMOCRATS NOT VOTING
Steve Hodges, East Prairie
Stacey Newman, St. Louis