Missouri § 161.026 - Teacher representative on state board of education, qualifications, term, vacancy.

§ 161.026. Teacher representative on state board of education, qualifications, term, vacancy.

1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of section 161.032 or any other provision of law, the governor shall, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appoint a teacher representative to the state board of education who shall attend all meetings and participate in all deliberations of the board.  The teacher representative shall not have the right to vote on any matter before the board or be counted in establishing a quorum under section 161.082.

2.  The teacher representative shall be an active classroom teacher.  For purposes of this section, "active classroom teacher" means a resident of the state of Missouri who is a full-time teacher with at least five years of teaching experience in the state of Missouri, who is certified to teach under the laws governing the certification of teachers in Missouri, and who is not on leave at the time of the appointment to the position of teacher representative.  The teacher representative shall have the written support of the local school board prior to accepting the appointment.

3.  The term of the teacher representative shall be four years, and for the second and succeeding appointments, the newly appointed teacher representative shall not be appointed from the same congressional district as the two immediately preceding teacher representatives.

4.  If a vacancy occurs for any reason in the position of teacher representative, the governor shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, a replacement for the unexpired term.  Such replacement shall be a resident of the same congressional district as the teacher representative being replaced, shall meet the qualifications set forth under subsection 2 of this section, and shall serve until his or her successor is appointed and qualified.  If the general assembly is not in session at the time for making an appointment, the governor shall make a temporary appointment until the next session of the general assembly, when the governor shall nominate a person to fill the position of teacher representative.

5.  If the teacher representative ceases to be an active classroom teacher, as defined under subsection 2 of this section, or fails to follow the board's attendance policy, the teacher representative's position shall immediately become vacant unless an absence is caused by sickness or some accident preventing the teacher representative's arrival at the time and place appointed for the meeting.

6.  The teacher representative shall receive the same reimbursement for expenses as members of the state board of education receive under section 161.022.

7.  At no time shall more than one nonvoting member serve on the state board of education.

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(L. 2018 H.B. 1606 and S.B. 743, A.L. 2025 S.B. 68)

---- end of effective  28 Aug 2025 ----

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