By WHITNEE ICE
St. Joseph Post
School districts across Missouri might be able to share superintendents when they can’t afford to have their own superintendent under a bill being considered by the legislature.
St. Joseph State Rep. Brenda Shields who sponsors the measure says school districts that are smaller than the recommended size would be able to avoid consolidation.
"We know that school districts are optimally sized if they have about 1,250 students in them and out of our 514 school districts that we have in the state of Missouri, 400 of our school districts have less than 1,200 students. We certainly don't want to consolidate school districts," Shields tells St. Joseph Post. "We know that students cant ride on a bus any longer but maybe we can consolidate superintendents and they'd be able to manage two or three districts."
Shields says under her bill school districts that share superintendents will receive a stipend.
"It's an opportunity for school districts to share a superintendent and receive a $30,000 stipend for each district that share," says Shields.
Under current Missouri laws, school districts are unable to consolidate superintendents.
Shields is also sponsoring a bill for child care funding. The bill would create County Early Childhood Boards.
Shields says the county would choose how the money would be spent.
"They can fund early childhood and a county could decide how they want to spend these dollars, whether it be for child care, it be for other items that they think is important for their community."