In the state of Missouri, Senate Bill 68 becomes law this week. Introduced last December and signed into law by Governor Kehoe earlier this summer, the legislation has wide-ranging impacts for schools in the state. Senator Mike Henderson sponsored the legislation. In discussion on the senate floor, he recognized it has wide-ranging impacts, but says it deals with school security.
Henderson says, "I kind of looked at this as a bill that is going to deal with student safety. So the first part has a reporting piece. Schools must report to DESE any instances of school safety or credible threats. DESE may require schools to report any violent behavior or crime that required law enforcement to respond."
DESE is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It advises Missouri schools on policy and administrative needs. A highly publicized amendment to the bill bans cell phone use in schools from bell-to-bell. During discussion of the amendment, Senator Doug Beck said schools are looking for support in managing student cellphone use.
"Being a school board member from back in the day, you would hope the school board have the ability to do this sort of thing. But the school boards get a lot of pushback - not from the students, but from the parents - so I think school boards are looking for some policy to give them the ability to do these things.", says Henderson.
The bill has a number of other provisions: it changes requirements around lead levels in school drinking water; lowers the age for adult high school education from 21 to 18; and requires schools to create emergency management plans.
The senate meets next month to review Governor Kehoe's vetoes which include special funds for projects in the state. Amongst the funds vetoed by the governor is money for higher education in the state, which is impacting Northwest Missouri State University.