Gov. Mike L. Parson announced his plans to host signing ceremonies at the state Capitol in Jefferson City today (June 29) that will take action on the 2022 legislative wins. However, SB 681 — the dollar value modifier (DVM) — was not included in the list of expected bills to be signed.

The House and Senate passed DVM in SB 681 at the end of the May 2022 legislative session. The bill would allow school districts that have campuses in a neighboring county with a higher dollar value modifier to receive funding at the higher rate.

Both Maries County R-2 in Belle, which has students in Osage County, and Gasconade County R-2, which shares a campus in the Franklin County community of Gerald, would benefit from being included in the passage of the legislation.

Maries County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham said State Rep. Bruce Sassmann initially came to her and discussed the bill. 

“It would increase our funding by $100,000 annually,” Basham reported in May.

Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy has said the increase would equate to about $1 million more annually. 

During the June 27 Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education meeting, President Glenn Ely reminded members that the governor has three choices that he could make.

“He could choose to sign the bill into law,” Ely began. “He could choose to veto it. Or he could choose to do nothing and the bill would take effect on its own by July 15.”

Hardy said during their board meeting Monday that they are still waiting on the governor to sign SB 681 and a second bill, SB 3002 that includes strong suggestions to increase teacher salaries to $38,000 annually.