School board hears legislative update: state funding boost, $50 million private-school vouchers and new cell-phone rule

Jamie (board member) told the Webster Groves School Board on May 15 that a joint legislative committee had included “fully funding the formula” in its final budget proposal and that the increase would translate to about $1,700,000 for the district next year.

The board was also told the legislature allocated $50,000,000 for private-school vouchers, a first for Missouri using general revenue, and that Senate Bill 68 contains a range of new education requirements. “The new state law requires that students cannot have a cell phone out at all anytime during the school day,” Jamie said, adding the statute allows exceptions “if there’s an emergency” or for students with specific needs.

Why it matters: The funding decision affects the district’s near-term operating resources; the voucher allocation raises questions about oversight and how state dollars will be used; and the omnibus bill may force district policy changes on classroom practice and daily operations.

Board members pressed for detail and implementation timelines. Jamie warned the bill contains many provisions—on lead in water, emergency operations plans, cardiac emergency training, stop-the-bleed protocols, calendar flexibility, teacher pay and certifications, and small-school grants—and said district staff and attorneys will need to review how each requirement applies to Webster Groves. On vouchers, Jamie said the amount is tied to the state adequacy target and observed that the per-student figure (about $6,700 last year) “won’t cover many private schools’ tuition.”

Board members asked whether the voucher program includes oversight. Jamie said proponents structured similar programs to send money to families rather than directly to private schools and that legal challenges are likely; she said she expected litigation but noted past court rulings in other states had upheld similar designs. On cell phones, board members asked whether the law sets penalties; Jamie said the law provides few enforcement details and that the district would await guidance from state agencies on compliance and potential sanctions.

Board members also debated the bill’s curriculum language. Jamie said some provisions go beyond statewide standards to specify instructional approaches—“it’s jumping the line of what’s the role of the state and what’s the role of local school boards,” she said—prompting at least one board member to call the intrusion into local curriculum decisions “worrisome.”

No formal board action was taken on legislative matters at the meeting. Board members directed staff to continue monitoring legislative guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and to return with policy recommendations and necessary revisions after a legal and operational review.

Board members asked staff to notify families about likely changes and to keep state legislators apprised of district concerns, and several trustees said they would contact lawmakers directly.