MO SB452

Allows pupils to enroll in an adjoining school district if attendance is closer by travel time or distance than their home district school, or if attendance in the home district creates unusual or unreasonable transportation hardship due to natural barriers, unsafe barriers, or transportation impediments.

Requires parents or guardians to submit initial enrollment notification by March 15th of the preceding school year on forms prescribed by the department of elementary and secondary education, with the receiving district responding within 15 business days.

Permits late enrollment requests between March 15 and May 15 if good cause exists, including changes in family residence, marital status, custody, foster care placement, adoption, substance abuse or mental health treatment, or documented health and safety concerns such as bullying or sexual misconduct.

Establishes tuition payment procedures where the sending district pays the receiving district's per-pupil cost based on grade level grouping expenses; if the receiving district's rate is higher, parents pay the difference; late payments incur a 2.5% charge every two weeks, and payments over three months overdue are withheld from the sending district's state aid.

Makes parents responsible for transporting pupils to the receiving district without reimbursement unless the receiving district voluntarily provides transportation; allows appeals of enrollment denials to the state board of education, which may charge an administrative fee not exceeding $500.