Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has signed a wide-ranging education reform bill into law, setting in motion dozens of changes that will affect every public and charter school in the state starting with the 2025–26 academic year.Senate Bill 68, sponsored by Senator Holly Thompson Rehder and handled in the House by Representative Brad Pollitt, was signed July 9 and will take effect Aug. 28. The 152-page legislation creates, repeals and modifies more than 40 statutes tied to K-12 education, including policies on school safety, emergency preparedness, academic assessment, communication device usage and teacher certification.Among the most immediate changes is a new mandate for all Missouri school districts and charter schools to adopt a written policy limiting the use of electronic personal communication devices by students during the school day. The law defines these devices as portable items used to initiate, receive, store or view electr...