JC/DC ACTION ALERT: Open Enrollment in Missouri Public Education

Missouri PTA needs you to contact your Representatives now and ask your Representative to VOTE NO on HB1814 Open Enrollment Bill

Missouri PTA is opposed to HB1814

House Bill 1814 creates open enrollment throughout Missouri and it could be heard in the House as soon as Monday.

Missouri PTA is concerned about this bill’s negative impact on school consolidation, special education and school finances. PTA believes that any changes in school structure or funding should be measured by the likely outcomes for all children in accord with the obligation to prepare all children to become effective, productive adult citizens.

Missouri PTA advocates are called upon to ensure your Representatives understand that you are paying attention and that these issues are important to you!

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL and urge your State Representative to oppose HB1814

MOPTA Advocates are invited to utilize the letter below to guide your calls, emails, and social media contact with your lawmaker(s).

Dear Representative,

I am writing today to add my voice with the dozens of parents and educators who express opposition to HB1814.

The open enrollment policy created in this bill will harm Missouri students, schools, and communities. This legislation could lead to school consolidation across the state making it more difficult to serve Missouri’s most vulnerable students. It will also lead to many districts struggling to maintain educational programs they offer such as choir, band, and athletic programs.

Missouri PTA and other public school advocates are opposed to bills that will pit school districts against each other to compete for students and the funds associated with them. Funding that would normally go toward student learning would be spent on recruiting and competing with neighboring districts.

HB1814 allows districts that engage in open enrollment to discriminate against special education students, denying their participation in the program based on their needs.

The focus should be on supporting and improving our schools and all populations rather than tearing them apart. The focus needs to turn to supporting and building stronger schools in each of our communities. Each community is unique and to say that open enrollment would benefit all students is misleading and grossly misunderstood. However, the impact will be felt by all due to the financial hardship it will cause for districts.

I strongly encourage you to oppose HB1814 and vote against this legislation.

Sincerely,

Your Name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your legislators? Click Here and enter your street address or zip code.

Paula McKinney
Vice President of Legislation and Advocacy
Missouri PTA

Vice President & Director of Legislation and Advocacy

[email protected]

Take Action: Urge Congress to Participate in Public Schools Week!

Each year, communities across the United States come together for Public Schools Week to celebrate the importance of our nation’s public schools. This school year there are about 98,000 public schools in the United States serving over 50 million students! National PTA thanks all of our public school administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, specialists, nutrition staff, health professionals, bus drivers and all other key staff that keep our public schools running, especially during this pandemic.

Public schools are open to every child regardless of ability, wealth, country of origin, or needs, and by supporting public school systems we strengthen our country. Join us in urging Congress to designate the week of February 21 through February 25, 2022 as “Public Schools Week” by co-sponsoring the annual, bipartisan, bicameral Public Schools Week Resolution.

In addition, we are encouraging all PTA members to invite their elected representatives to visit their local public school during Public Schools Week to showcase some of the exemplary work of all public school staff and honor our nation’s commitment to public education.

Before you begin coordinating a school visit, check out National PTA’s Hosting a Site Visit for a Decisionmaker webpage where you can find resources for:

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/JYn4F2SZzLttbP0DJ72Qdw

Take Action: Urge Congress to Prioritize the Mental Health of Students by Passing the STANDUP Act

At the beginning of the school year, due to the continuing pandemic, families focused on their children’s safe return to class. However, this pandemic has exacerbated a crisis that existed prior. Across the country, local emergency departments are recording dramatic increases in all mental health emergencies, including suspected suicide attempts. Our country is currently witnessing soaring rates of mental health challenges among our children and it is inextricably tied to the stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Childhood mental health concerns and suicide rates have steadily risen in the last decade. By 2018, suicide became the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association have officially declared a national emergency in children and adolescent mental health. Additionally, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory report to highlight the current youth mental health crisis in correlation with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act (STANDUP Act) is the first federal legislation providing uniform research-based suicide prevention and awareness standards in schools to address the mental health needs of students. The bill currently has 46 bipartisan sponsors (38 Democrats and 8 Republicans).

PTA calls on Congress and the Administration to immediately address the many factors that contribute to the mental health crisis in the United States. Our association strongly encourages efforts that establish comprehensive community mental health. In addition, our organization supports all programs and projects that educate and inform parents, students and the general public about youth suicide prevention and support services for survivors of a suicide attempt.

The STANDUP Act has already passed in the Senate. Now it is the House of Representatives’ turn to cast the final vote! Take action today and urge your representative to vote to prioritize youth suicide prevention and vote “Yes” on the STANDUP Act!

JC/DC Take Action – Infrastructure Funding for Public Schools

**IMMEDIATE ADVOCACY ACTION NEEDED**
JC/DC Alert for Immediate Action to tell Congress to Support Critical Funding for School Infrastructure

National PTA and its members have long advocated to ensure schools have the proper resources needed to help children learn, grow and succeed to reach their full potential. Yet, historically, unlike roads and bridges, school facilities have received virtually no federal investment. However, every school day, nearly 50 million K-12 students and 6 million adults occupy close to 100,000 public school buildings in the United States. In more than 30% of public-school facilities, windows, plumbing and HVAC systems are considered in “fair” or “poor” condition. Given state budget shortfalls and the need for economic recovery, now is the time for the federal government to invest in school infrastructure. The long-term success of our nation depends on quality federal investments in our education system.

Contact your Representative and Senators today to insist that schools be included in infrastructure funding!

Dear Senator/Representative ~

As your constituent and a parent/guardian, I urge you to invest in our children and ensure that at least $100 billion for schools are included in the budget resolution and instructions currently in development.

Researchers estimate that we should be spending about $112 billion per year on capital outlay for our public school facilities. And yet, historically school facilities have received virtually no federal investment. Every school day, nearly 50 million K-12 students and 6 million teachers and staff occupy close to 100,000 public school buildings in the United States. Our nation’s schools are outdated and now is the time for the federal government to invest in school infrastructure.

As your constituent, I urge you to ensure that at least $100 billion is allocated for school improvements in the upcoming budget resolution and accompanying instructions. We must support long term investments in education and guarantee schools have the proper resources needed to help all children learn, grow and succeed.

Sincerely,

Your Name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your Federal legislators? Click here and insert your street address or 9-digit zip code.

Paula McKinney
Vice President of Legislation and Advocacy
Missouri PTA

JCDC Action Alert: Urgent Action Needed – Contact Governor Parson Now

JC/DC ACTION ALERT: Contact Governor Parson Now –

We OPPOSE Establishing Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program

HB 349

Missouri PTA is opposed to bills establishing the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program because this program would create an account that would allow taxpayers to make a qualifying contribution to an educational assistance organization and claim a tax credit. The scholarships will be used in private schools effectively creating a voucher system in Missouri.

The bill received several amendments and will now:

Offer $50 million in tax credits for donation to one or more nonprofit “education assistance organizations” (EAO). The amount will be increased based on inflation but capped at $75 million. Ninety percent goes to the scholarships, 2% to the state treasurer, and the rest can go to the EA) (up to $4 million).
The EAO issues scholarships to students who live in Clay, Jackson, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties or any city with a population of more than 30,000 to attend a home, private, virtual or public school. Map HB349CountiesCities.jpg
Any qualified student is eligible for these scholarships, but priority is given to 1) special education students or students eligible for free and reduced lunch, and 2) students whose household earning does not exceed twice the eligibility for free and reduced lunch ($96,940 For a family of 4). To be qualified, a student must have attended a public school for a semester in the last 12 months or be first enrolling in school.
Scholarship funds can be used for a broad list of reasons:
- Tuition and fees to a private or virtual school
- Textbooks
- Educational therapies or services from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider including, but not limited to paraprofessionals or aides.
- Tutoring
- Curriculum
- Testing fees
- Fees for a firm to manage the scholarship account
- Classes and extracurricular programs
- Computer hardware or technological devices
- Summer education programs and after-school programs
- Transportation costs for mileage to and from school.
Scholarships are only available in fiscal years following a year where the legislature appropriates to transportation 40% of the 75% amount necessary to fully fund transportation in 2021. In any year where the appropriation for transportation goes below that amount, no new scholarship accounts can be created, but the existing ones can continue. (Funds do not need to be received.)
For the first 5 years, if a student leaves a public school or charter school after receiving a scholarship, the school district may continue to count the student for state aid unless the student graduates, returns to a resident public school, or quits receiving the scholarship.

Time sensitive action needed! Contact Governor Parson NOW and urge him to VETO HB349

Dear Governor Parson,

The Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program is not good for students and parents, taxpayers and Missouri’s public schools.

Missouri PTA opposes vouchers in any form because:

Schools receiving the funds are not held accountable for delivering an education.

Teachers are not required to be certified or even have a college degree.

Schools accepting these scholarships are not required to enroll all students.

Schools receiving the funds are not held financially accountable for taxpayer dollars.

Tax breaks already exist for donations to scholarship funds.

As your constituent and voter, I urge you to VETO HB349. This proposed bill will create an unchecked new tax credit program in Missouri that would allow public dollars to be used for private education, without accountability to Missouri students, parents and taxpayers. This program creates further government bureaucracy taking vital education dollars out of Missouri’s public schools that educate all students and strengthen communities.

HB349 would allow any taxpayer who makes a qualifying contribution to the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program to claim a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the total contribution. The tax credit voucher program would begin at $50 million per year and includes an escalator that would grow the program unchecked with no oversight by the Missouri General Assembly.

This new voucher program would allow for the creation of nonprofit organizations that would be allowed to defer state tax dollars that would normally go to the education of all students, steering resources away from the classroom toward bureaucratic administration.

This legislation would impact every district in the state by limiting the amount of state revenue available to fund public education that serves all students across the state. Public tax dollars used to support all students’ needs including mental health access, classroom supports, and highly qualified teachers must be a priority for the legislature before creating programs that would defer money away from public education.

As your constituent I believe that all students deserve equal access to a free public education. The continuation of our free nation and its strength and well-being depend on our free public schools.

VETO on HB349.

I appreciate you considering this information as you work to support Missouri’s students, families and communities.

Sincerely,

Your name and PTA

You can cut and paste this letter in an email for Governor Parson. You can also mail this letter to:

Office of the Governor Michael L. Parson

P.O. Box 720

Jefferson City, MO 65102

Paula McKinney
Vice President of Legislation and Advocacy
Missouri PTA

Vice President & Director of Legislation and Advocacy

[email protected]