The bill proposes the repeal of section 160.066 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and enacts a new section that mandates public school districts and charter schools to develop and maintain a searchable database of their financial information. By September 1, 2019, these institutions must make available detailed documents or databases that outline their actual income, expenditures, and disbursements for the current fiscal year on their websites. Starting from the 2027-28 school year, the database must include specific data in an open-structured format that allows users to sort and access the information easily. This includes details about administrative positions, contracts with vendors, teacher salaries, and expenditures for non-instructional programs. Additionally, the bill requires each school district and charter school to publish an annual one-page budget summary on their website, which must be easily identifiable and distributed at public meetings discussing school finance. This summary should include per-pupil expenditures and a report of unencumbered carryover cash balances. The bill also stipulates that if a school fails to comply with these requirements, it will face mandatory notifications to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, required corrective actions, and potential withholding of administrative funds if noncompliance persists for over 180 days.

Statutes affected:
Introduced (5235H.01): 160.066