Legislative Updates

Missouri Amendment 5 - Amendment 5 does not directly change school funding or local school district tax rates upon voter approval. Instead, it establishes a constitutional framework for future legislative action related to Missouri's tax system. Because implementation would require additional legislation, the specific impact on public education funding and school district finances cannot be determined at this time. School districts will continue to monitor legislative developments to understand any future implications for the state's education funding system.

Some Provisions included in Amendment 5

Income Tax Phase-Out by 2032 

• Requires current and future legislators to reduce or eliminate the state income tax. 
• Current income tax generates $8.4 billion, which is over 60% of all General Revenue.

Sales Tax Linkage 

• Bills to increase taxes on goods and services must include a corresponding reduction in the income tax 

Constitutional Tax Limits Suspended 5 Years 

• Suspends the constitutional requirement for voters to approve new taxes 
• Suspends the constitutional prohibition against taxing services

Local Tax Rollbacks 

• Require local taxing jurisdictions to roll back local taxes if there are increased revenues received through taxes on new goods and services 

School Funding Protection

• Prohibits reductions in local funding to schools, but does not protect the Foundation Formula if General Revenue declines

SB1002 - November Elections (This is only for St. Charles County)

Passed - This bill was initially proposed for the entire state, but was later changed to counties with a population between 400,000 and 500,000. The Senate summary of the bill calls out St. Charles.  What this means for the Wentzville School District

• Elections for school boards move from the April municipal election cycle to the November general election in even-numbered years
• School tax, levy, and bond proposals would move from being allowed during any election cycle, any year, to the November general election in even-numbered years.
• School board directors in 2028 and thereafter will serve four-year terms
• School board candidates can voluntarily place their political party affiliation on the ballot
• The seven-director districts would be organized in January of odd-numbered years rather than following the ordinary post-election organization timeline.
• Under current Missouri law, school board elections generally occur within the April general municipal election framework. SB1002 carves out the affected St. Charles County districts from that statewide structure and imposes a separate rule for board elections and school-finance ballot measures.
   

There were several state budget bills, and adjustments were made throughout the process.  What the approved budget means for the Wentzville School District

• For the Fiscal Year (FY) 26 budget, school districts were underfunded by an estimated $138M statewide under the state foundation formula. This was due to an overestimation of revenue from the lottery, gaming, and school sales tax fund. The Student Adequacy Target (SAT) or the amount the formula provides per student for FY26 was $7,145; however, our current projected amount received is $6,950, and we will not know the exact amount until we receive the June payment from the state. This will create a $3.5M shortfall for the WSD. This information will be updated upon receipt of the final payment
• The proposed FY27 Budget includes an underfunding of $190M in the state foundation formula and an additional $15M shortfall in transportation funding.
• The MOScholars program received a 20% increase ($10M). 
   

HB2872 - Literacy of Elementary School Students

Did not pass.

Did not pass - There were several property tax bills proposed in both the Senate and the House. The legislature was unable to come to an agreement on the bills. 

HB2710- A-F School Accountability Measures

Did not pass - However, the State Board of Education and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) retain administrative authority to independently move forward with an A-F style accountability framework, consistent with the executive order signed by the Governor earlier this year.

SB971 - Open Enrollment

Did not pass.
 

SB 998 - MO Scholars

Did not pass. However, as stated above, the FY27 budget does include a 20% increase in funding, $10M, bringing the total from $50M to $60M.