Missouri Revised Statutes § 162.058 - Community engagement policy, requirements

162.058. Community engagement policy, requirements. — 1. Before July 1, 2023, each school district and charter school shall, after receiving community input, implement a community engagement policy that provides residents of the school district methods of communicating with the school board or the governing board of a charter school located in the school district and with the administration of the school district or charter school. 2. The community engagement policy shall create a process allowing any resident of a school district to have an item placed on the agenda of a school board meeting, or a meeting of the governing board of a charter school located in the school district, if the resident follows the process described in the policy. Such policy shall contain at least the following components: (1) No item shall be placed on a meeting agenda under this section unless the item is directly related to the governance or operation of the school district or charter school; (2) The school district or charter school may require the resident to first meet with the superintendent or the superintendent's designee to attempt a resolution of the issue. The superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall meet with the resident within twenty business days of a written request to meet. After such meeting, or if the superintendent or the superintendent's designee does not meet with the resident within twenty business days, the resident may submit a written request to the board secretary to have the issue brought before the school board or the governing board as a meeting agenda item. If the secretary receives the request at least five business days prior to the next regularly scheduled board meeting, the issue shall be placed as an item on the agenda for such meeting. If the secretary receives the request less than five days before the next regularly scheduled board meeting, the issue shall be placed as an item on the agenda for the next subsequent regular board meeting. An agenda item may be moved to a different board meeting with the consent of the resident requesting the agenda item; (3) The school board or governing board may establish reasonable rules governing agenda items including, but not limited to, time limits for presentation or discussion of the agenda item and limits on the number of speakers to a single individual or to individuals who met with the superintendent or the superintendent's designee before the issue was brought before the board as a meeting agenda item; (4) The school board or governing board may refuse to hear or delay hearing an agenda item if the school board or governing board has heard an identical or substantially similar issue in the previous three calendar months or if the resident has previously violated district rules regarding conduct at meetings or on school property; and (5) The school board or governing board may delay hearing an agenda item if more than three resident-initiated agenda items are scheduled for the same board meeting. If the hearing of a resident's agenda item is delayed, the school board or governing board shall provide the resident with an alternate method of communicating to the school board or governing board regarding the agenda item. (L. 2022 S.B. 681 & 662)