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​GIFTED ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI
2024 State Advocacy Agenda


The Gifted Association of Missouri requests your advocacy on the following issues:

PROTECTING GIFTED EDUCATION LEGISLATION
In 2022, GAM was successful in passing their priority legislation, that will require all school
districts in Missouri to offer programs and services to students identified as gifted and talented.  GAM continues to advocate for these programs, and continues to work with DESE and all school districts to implement these programs and any rules and regulations governing implementation in 2024.

MISSOURI SCHOLARS ACADEMY & MISSOURI FINE ARTS ACADEMY
Support $1 million in state funding for the Missouri Scholars Academy and Missouri Fine
Arts Academy for June, 2025, in House Bill 2.  The Scholars Academy is a three-week residential program at MU for 330 rising high school juniors who are academically gifted;
The Fine Arts Academy is a two-week residential program at MSU for 150 rising high
school juniors and seniors who are gifted in the arts.


MISSOURI SCHOOL FOUNDATION FORMULA FUNDING
Support increased funding for the Missouri School Foundation Formula. Support $4 billion
appropriation in House Bill 2 for the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.

OTHER GIFTED FACTS & FIGURES
$24,870,104 was appropriated for gifted education in FY2006. There were 295 school
districts with state approved gifted programs. In FY2007, this amount was rolled into the
new foundation formula. Without this line item providing earmarked funding for state
approved gifted programs, those funds can be spent on other programs, and there are now
only 200 school districts offering state approved gifted programs.


2024 GAM DAY AT THE CAPITOL IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, AT 10:00 AM

You can find your legislators by visiting the Missouri Senate website.
Legislative Look-Up: www.senate.mo.gov/llookup/leg_lookup.aspx
It will give you contact information and a webpage on your Legislators.
If you have questions, please contact GAM’s Governmental Consultant, Kyna Iman, at

kynaiman@earthlink.net

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