SB 727 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Missouri Senate Bill 727

As of July 1, 2026, "any district located wholly or partially in a charter county or in a city with more than 30,000 residents must have:

• 1,044 hours AND 169 days, or

• A 4-day school week approved by voters with at least 142 days.

• A financial incentive will be paid to any district that offers at least 169 instructional days.

For the text of the full language of SB727 see https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=244 

Election Results: Missouri Districts Voting to Keep the Four-Day Week

Missouri's Senate Bill 727 (2024) changed how the four-day school week is adopted. Districts located wholly or partly in a charter-government county (Jackson, Clay, St. Louis, Jefferson, and St. Charles) or in a city of more than 30,000 residents must now win majority voter approval to start or keep a four-day week. A "yes" vote locks the schedule in for ten years. Rural districts under 30,000 and outside charter counties can still decide by school-board vote.

So far, every district that has put the question to voters has passed it, with support ranging from about 62% to 87% - higher than typical pre-adoption parent surveys. Observers credit that to communities having lived with the schedule for a few years. The only district returning to a five-day week did so because it missed the filing deadline, not because voters rejected the schedule.

How each district voted

Crystal City 47 (Jefferson County): A small district of roughly 500 students south of St. Louis, and the first in Missouri to put the four-day week on the ballot. Approved April 8, 2025 with 86.5% in favor. https://www.audacy.com/kmox/news/local/voters-approve-4-day-school-week-in-crystal-city

Independence (Jackson County): With about 14,000 students, the largest Missouri district on a four-day week; it adopted the schedule in 2023-24 to recruit and retain teachers and had also challenged SB 727 in court. Approved November 4, 2025 with 61.7% in favor. https://www.kcur.org/education/2025-11-04/independence-can-keep-its-four-day-school-week-after-voters-approve-shorter-schedule

Hallsville R-IV (Boone County): A rural district on the four-day week since 2022, pulled into the vote because a small sliver of its boundary sits inside the city of Columbia. Approved November 4, 2025 with 75% in favor (1,077 to 358). https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/05/missouri-voters-approve-four-day-school-week-in-two-districts-showing-rising-support/

Grandview R-II (Jefferson County): A rural district near Hillsboro on the four-day week since 2019-20. Approved April 7, 2026 with about 70% in favor (374 to 162). https://www.mymoinfo.com/jefferson-r-7-fox-c-6-and-grandview-r-2-school-issues-pass/

Diamond R-IV (Newton and Jasper Counties): A district near Joplin, on the ballot because part of it lies within the Joplin city limits. Approved April 7, 2026 with about 77% in favor (522 to 157). https://www.ncclerk.org/electionresults/

Sunrise R-IX (Jefferson County): A small K-8 district near De Soto that missed the filing deadline to hold its vote and will return to a five-day week for 2026-27. Its board has discussed bringing a four-day-week question to voters in a future election. https://www.myleaderpaper.com/news/sunrise-r-6-school-district-returns-to-five-day-school-week-in-2026-2027-school-year/article_20f2809e-b353-4dde-bcb7-081c6ebd7f3e.html