A bill that aims to fix Missouri's flawed student transfer system will head to Gov. Jay Nixon.
Lawmakers passed the bill Tuesday night after hours of debate. The current transfer law requires struggling districts to pay tuition for students to switch to better-performing schools, which has caused a financial hardship for some. Legislators for years had worked to find a fix.
The bill passed 84-73 by the House and 23-11 by the Senate would accredit schools by building, instead of by district. Students in failing schools could first transfer to accredited buildings within their district, with the goal of keeping them and tuition dollars close to home.
Additional charter and virtual school options led to contention. Opponents questioned how much those options would help students in struggling districts, and criticized the provisions as catering to interest groups.