167.164. Suspension or expulsion not to relieve duty to educate--district to pay costs of alternative education--voucher--district may contract for alternative education services.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

167.164. Suspension or expulsion not to relieve duty to educate--district to pay costs of alternative education--voucher--district may contract for alternative education services.

Suspension or expulsion not to relieve duty to educate--district topay costs of alternative education--voucher--district may contractfor alternative education services.

167.164. 1. Any suspension issued pursuant to section 167.161, or thissection, or expulsion pursuant to section 167.161, shall not relieve the stateor the suspended student's parents or guardians of their responsibilities toeducate the student. School districts are encouraged to provide an in-schoolsuspension system and to search for other acceptable discipline alternativesprior to using suspensions of more than ten days or expelling a student fromthe school. Each school district or special school district constituting thedomicile of any child for whom alternative education programs are provided orprocured under this section shall pay toward the per pupil costs foralternative education programs for such child. A school district which is nota special school district shall pay an amount equal to the average sumproduced per child by the local tax effort of the district of domicile. Aspecial school district shall pay an amount not to exceed the average sumproduced per child by the local tax efforts of the domiciliary districts.When educational services have been provided by the school district or specialschool district in which a child actually resides, other than the district ofdomicile, the amounts as provided in subsection 2 of this section* for whichthe domiciliary school district or special school district is responsibleshall be paid by such district directly to the serving district. The schooldistrict, or special school district, as the case may be, shall send a writtenvoucher for payment to the regular or special district constituting thedomicile of the child served and the domiciliary school district or specialschool district receiving such voucher shall pay the district providing orprocuring the services an amount not to exceed the average sum produced perchild by the local tax efforts of the domiciliary districts. In the event theresponsible district fails to pay the appropriate amount to the districtwithin ninety days after a voucher is submitted, the state department ofelementary and secondary education shall deduct the appropriate amount duefrom the next payments of any state financial aid due that district and shallpay the same to the appropriate district.

2. A school district may contract with other political subdivisions,public agencies, not-for-profit organizations, or private agencies for theprovision of alternative education services for students whose demonstrateddisruptive behavior indicates that they cannot be adequately served in thetraditional classroom setting. Such contracting may be included as part of agrant application pursuant to section 167.335 or conducted independent of theprovisions of section 167.335.