Missouri Senate gives preliminary approval to bill on virtual school assessments

The Missouri Senate gave preliminary approval Monday evening to Senate Bill 266, a measure sponsored by Senator Travis Fitzwater of Holts Summit that would establish provisions for assessing students in virtual public school settings.

The bill, as described by the sponsor on the floor, aims to address how students enrolled in public virtual schools take required assessments and reduce the need for students to travel to distant testing locations. The Senate debate also included discussion of charter schools; at one point Senator Karla May of St. Louis offered an amendment and later withdrew it.

Senator Travis Fitzwater introduced the measure on the floor and said it would set out rules for administering assessments in virtual settings so students would not have to travel for testing. Senator Koch raised concerns related to charter schools during the exchange, and Senator Karla May then proposed an amendment that she subsequently removed, according to the floor proceedings. The transcript does not specify the contents of May’s amendment or the exact vote tally on the preliminary approval.

Under the Senate process, the chamber’s preliminary approval means the bill cleared an initial vote; another affirmative vote is needed in the Senate to send the proposal to the Missouri House of Representatives for consideration. The Senate is scheduled to return to budget work in about two weeks, according to remarks from the chamber.

Reporting from the state capital, Reporter Dean Morgan recorded the floor action.