Signed by Governor Kevin Stitt

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires school districts with more than 225,000 registered voters within their boundaries will now be divided into geographic zones.

Highlights:

• Requires that the State Board of Career and Technology Education prescribe criteria and procedures for technology center school districts and that those districts are operated in accordance with the State Board of Career and Technology Education rules (Sec. 1).

• Requires that a technology school be a corporate body and hold the usual powers of a corporation, including the ability to sue, be sued, contract, and be contracted with, and hold real and personal estate (Sec. 1).

• Requires that a governing board of a technology center school district must consist of no less than 5 and no more than 7 members (Sec. 1).

• Requires that all board members be elected in a way prescribed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the State Board announce the rules and ways in which required elections are held (Sec. 1).

• Requires that a technology center school district serving 70 or more public school districts be divided into district zones (Sec. 1).

• Requires that all district boundaries have clear and observable physical boundaries based upon criteria established by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce (Sec. 1).

• Requires that district zones be as equal in population as practical and have no more than a 5% variance between the most and least populated zones (Sec. 1).

• Requires the board of education of a technology center district to consist of one resident elected from each of the district zones (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that if during a term of office to which a person was elected and they stop being a resident of that zone for which they were elected, the office must become vacant and later filled (Sec. 1).

• Requires technology center school districts with a population of more than 225,000 registered voters within their boundary to be divided into board zones by the State Board of Career and Technology Education (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the board of education of the technology center school district consist of 1 member elected from each district zone (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the option that, upon approval of a board resolution, voters can elect a person who is a resident of the district zone to represent the district on the school board instead of electing all board members at large (Sec. 1).

• Requires that  the board of education of a technology center school district have the same powers and duties that independent school boards have (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the board to require nonresident students to pay reasonable tuition which may be paid for a student by the independent or elementary school district the student resides in (Sec. 1).

• Requires that an election vote be called by the board of education and conducted by the county election board on the question of making a  levy of no more than 5 mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable property in a technology center school (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the levy, if passed, be made each fiscal year thereafter until it is repealed by an election (Sec. 1).

• Requires that the annual estimated needs of technology center school districts be made and approved in the same manner as independent school districts (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes territory to be annexed to or detached from a technology center school district in accordance with State Board of career and Technology Educations rules (Sec. 1).

• Requires that schools of technology center districts be subject to classification, inspection, and accreditation by the State Board of Education (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the technology center school board to designate a county treasurer to serve as the district treasurer or appoint an independent treasurer (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the board of an education of a technology center school district to approve plans, without prior approval from the State Board of Career and Technology Education, for buildings, additions, and major modifications designed to provide for the offering of vocational-technical education programs and services when the cost of the building is to be paid with local levies and state bond monies (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text