School choice measure in Missouri signed into law

The legislation creates the “Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program,” allowing residents to receive a tax credit for donating to certain educational assistance organizations. Those groups would then grant scholarships to eligible students, prioritizing students with special needs and students from low-income families.

Carmen Ward traveled to Jefferson City for the signing with her son Paul, who has autism and recently graduated from a charter school in St. Louis.

“I’ve been fighting for 18 years just for children like him to have options, so this is a surreal moment that he gets to see and witness,” Ward said.

The first scholarships are expected to be available for the 2022-23 school year. Ward said she would have sought out additional therapies and tutoring if the scholarship had been available earlier.

Parson’s signature on the measure, which was sponsored by Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, drew praise and scorn.

“For more than a decade students, parents and teachers have been pleading for the right to choose the best education for their child,” said Laura Slay, executive director of the Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri. “Today marks an historic victory for Missouri students desperate for better educational options.”

“Missouri students deserve the best possible education, and their parents deserve to have a say in their child’s education,” added Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester. “This legislation allows parents to pursue the best educational opportunities for their child.”

But the proposal could eventually mean $50 million less in tax collections per year once people claim the credit, causing opponents to worry the program would harm the state’s ability to fund other priorities while money flows to private schools and education companies that aren’t subject to public records laws and state oversight.

Missouri School Boards’ Association Executive Director Melissa Randol said the new law will divert taxpayer dollars to private institutions and undermine local school districts.

“Missouri is 49th in the country in average starting teachers’ salaries — we need to invest in Missouri’s high-quality teachers rather than funnel money to institutions that have no accountability to taxpayers for how they spend taxpayers’ dollars or how they educate our children,” Randol said.

In February, the measure squeaked out of the House on an 82-71 vote, winning the minimum number of “yes” votes necessary to advance to the upper chamber. Thirty Republicans voted against the measure.

In the Senate, all Democrats and four Republicans voted against the proposal.

The legislation affects only students in charter counties or cities with more than 30,000 people, meaning students in St. Louis and the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson would be eligible in the St. Louis area, as well as students in the largest suburbs around Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia. Low-income families and children with special needs are also prioritized in the law.

Democratic critics said that if the program was good for the state, it should apply to the entire state.

The new law now awaits the drafting of rules in the state Treasurer’s office.

The legislation is House Bill 349.

Blythe Bernhard of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.