Republic R-3 urges veto of voucher tax credit bill

Board cites several reasons to strike down bill, including lack of funding for public schools
 
Last month, the Missouri Legislature passed House Bill 349, which would establish the Missouri
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program (MESAP)and sent it to Gov. Mike Parson for his
signature. The Republic School Board is hoping he’ll veto it instead.
Board urges Parson to not sign HB 349:
During their meeting on Thursday, June 17, the board voted to send Gov. Parson a letter, urging him not
to sign the legislation.
“As a public-school board, we find it difficult to think that our state would remove money from general
revenue when our teachers have the 49th lowest pay among the 50 states,” the board stated in the letter.
“Our public schools are the lifeblood of our communities and are overwhelmingly seen as positive forces
in the community. These strong public schools ... create incentives for economic development and
investment in our great state. This development and investment leads to a better quality of life for all
Missourians, something we know you care about deeply.”
The board also told Parson that if the bill became law, it would hinder education instead of helping it.
“We believe that once you and your office review this bill in detail, you will find that this bill harms
Missouri’s students, communities and taxpayers,” the board stated.
Board states the legislation discriminates against students with special needs:
In the letter, the board laid out three reasons why they believed the legislation was bad for public
education. The first reason, they claimed, is that it would allow private schools to discriminate against
students with disabilities while also accepting public funds.
“In a remarkable departure from other modern legislation, this bill excludes disabled persons from the list
of persons who are protected from discrimination under the program,” the letter stated. “Pursuant to the
provisions of the bill, private schools receiving funds under HB 349 are specifically prohibited from
discriminating against students on the basis of race, color and national origin, but are not prohibited from
discriminating against students with disabilities.”
The letter further stated that students who are unable to take specific courses required by HB 349 will be
disqualified from being able to use the funds under MESAP.
“Because the bill requires that participating students receive instruction in certain core subjects, such a
student with a severe disability will be disqualified from participation in the program because they are
disabled,” the letter stated.
Additionally, the board said the legislation will leave disabled students with no legal recourse to fight
discrimination.
“Under the bill, students with disabilities are forced to waive their legal rights to educational services they
would otherwise be entitled to receive as a disabled student,” the letter stated. “Indeed, students with
disabilities who receive inadequate services or who are treated unfairly under the bill’s program will have
no legal recourse or procedural safeguard to address such deficiencies.”
Board states the law lacks regulation and accountability:
The board wrote in the letter that HB 349 “would create one of the most deregulated voucher/voucher tax
credit programs in the country.” They said the bill does not require private schools which receive the
funds to be accredited or require the employees at private schools to undergo background checks, and
site visits by state authorities will also not be allowed. Moreover, the board claimed that private schools
will not be required to adhere to “basic health and safety measures” under the bill, and while the
legislation does require testing, the students participating in the program will not be required to take the
MAP test, meaning the state will lack “data to determine who students who participated in the program
measure up against those who remained in the public school system.”
“As a result of this lack of regulation and accountability, “the letter stated, “we are fearful that unsafe and
unsupervised private schools will spring forth from the passage of this bill just as they have in other
states with similar programs.”
Board claims the legislation will take funding away from public schools:
In their final argument, the board stated that HB 349, by creating “a 100-percent tax credit that has a $50
million cap” in its first year and will increase each year until it hits an overall cap of $75 million, would
divert over $500 million from the general revenue fund.
“A significant portion of these funds would likely have been used to fund the foundation formula, the
school transportation categorical, higher education or other workforce development programs,” the letter
stated. “Instead, these funds will be utilized to prioritize the education of students attending private
schools or home schools.”
As of press time, HB 349 was still awaiting Parson’s signature. During the meeting, Superintendent Matt
Pearce said the board would let Parson know how they felt about the legislation, and “hopefully that
would have an impact on his decision” as to whether or not to sign it.