As the end of the 2018 legislative session quickly approaches, the Missouri Senate has approved several House Bills that modify existing guidelines for our school districts as well legislation that provides financial assistance to students enrolling in Missouri’s colleges and universities.
This week, House Bill 1744, a proposal that removes the requirement for a student to be enrolled in a public high school in order to qualify for the A + Schools Program, was approved by the Missouri Senate. During the debate, I was able to add language allowing these students to also utilize their MOST 529 college savings accounts or MO Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) tax-free savings accounts when it comes to paying for college.
This means more of Missouri’s students and their parents have the opportunity to afford college, no matter what hardships may occur. The A + program provides funding for tuition costs, while having a MOST 529 college savings account can help with any supplemental costs the students may incur while they are enrolled in school. In the event a student develops a disability prior to the age of 26, they can transfer their funds from their MOST 529 college savings account to a MO ABLE tax-free savings account.
By allowing this transfer without a tax penalty, a family who receives an unexpected diagnosis that changes their life plan has more options in order to make smart, financial decisions for their child’s educational and medical expenses. This will allow for a future of economic self-sufficiency for Missourians with disabilities, and present opportunities to improve their quality of life. This bill is one more step toward providing those with disabilities economic independence.
In addition, House Bill 1606 was approved by the Senate. HB 1606 removes burdensome regulations affecting our state’s public school districts and it increases access to online courses for all Missouri students. The legislation changes the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP) to the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program. This will allow any eligible student to enroll in programs of their choice, to be paid by their school district or charter school. This legislation expands access to online courses for students across Missouri and provides opportunities for enrichment that are unavailable in their individual districts. The bill also removes the number of required attendance days for students in grades K-12, as well as numerous other proposals intended to improve the administrative guidelines that affect our state’s school districts. I believe this bill is step in the right direction for our school districts, especially those districts who want to offer new and challenging courses to their students.
Wow. Treating all Missouri students the same regardless of ability. Refreshing.
ReplyDelete"The bill also removes the number of required attendance days for students in grades K-12, as well as numerous other proposals intended to improve the administrative guidelines that affect our state’s school districts."
ReplyDeleteAny details on what these are?