School Support Staff — Missouri K-12 Education Reference

Table of Contents

1. Paraprofessionals / Instructional Aides
2. School Nurses
3. Transportation Staff (Bus Drivers)
4. Food Service Staff
5. Custodial & Maintenance Staff
6. Office / Clerical Staff
7. Technology Staff
8. School Resource Officers (SROs)
9. Before/After School Program Staff
10. All Staff: Mandated Reporting & Training

1. Paraprofessionals / Instructional Aides

ESSA Requirements (Title I Schools)

Paraprofessionals working in Title I programs in an instructional support role must meet ONE of the following:

1. 60 semester hours of college credit from an accredited institution, OR
2. Associate's degree (or higher), OR
3. Passing score on an approved paraprofessional assessment (e.g., ParaPro Assessment, state-approved equivalent)

Roles

• Instructional support under teacher supervision (small group, one-on-one, reinforcement)
• Special education paraprofessionals (supporting students with IEPs)
• Title I instructional aides
• Library/media aides
• Computer lab aides

Key Limitations

• Paraprofessionals may NOT serve as the teacher of record
• Must work under the direct supervision of a certified teacher
• May not introduce new content or concepts without teacher direction
• Special education paras must follow the IEP and work under the direction of the special education teacher

Background Check

Required for all paraprofessionals (RSMo 168.133)

Professional Development

• Districts should provide PD specific to paraprofessional roles
• Topics: behavior management, instructional strategies, disability awareness, de-escalation, confidentiality, mandated reporting

2. School Nurses

Certification / Licensure

• Registered Nurse (RN): Missouri Board of Nursing licensure required; preferred for school nurse role
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): may serve under RN supervision in many districts
• DESE School Nurse Certificate: optional but recommended; requires RN licensure + additional school nursing coursework
• National certification: NBCSN (National Board Certification in School Nursing) through NASN

Responsibilities

• Health assessments and screenings (vision, hearing, scoliosis, BMI)
• Medication administration and management
• Emergency care and first aid
• Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs) for students with chronic conditions
• Immunization compliance monitoring (RSMo 167.181)
• Health education consultation
• Communicable disease management
• Delegation and training of unlicensed personnel for specific health tasks (e.g., diabetes management, seizure response)

Medication Administration

• Written parent/guardian authorization AND physician order required
• Medications must be in original pharmacy-labeled containers
• School must maintain a medication administration log
• Self-carry/self-administer policies for rescue inhalers and EpiPens (RSMo 167.627) and insulin (RSMo 167.621)

Student-to-Nurse Ratios (Recommended)

• NASN recommends 1:750 for the general student population
• Lower ratios for schools serving students with complex health needs
• Many Missouri districts, particularly rural ones, exceed these ratios significantly

Immunization Requirements (RSMo 167.181)

Missouri requires immunizations for school attendance. Current schedule includes: DTaP, IPV, MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella. Students without documented immunizations must be excluded unless they have a medical or religious exemption on file.

3. Transportation Staff (Bus Drivers)

Requirements

• Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements
• Background check: FBI fingerprint + Missouri Highway Patrol (RSMo 168.133)
• Physical examination: DOT medical card (renewed every 2 years)
• Drug and alcohol testing: pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident (per DOT/FMCSA regulations)
• Training: annual district-provided safety training (emergency procedures, student management, defensive driving, special needs awareness)

Key Policies

• Maximum driving hours per DOT regulations
• Pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections required
• Student head count on boarding and exiting
• Child check (post-trip sweep) after every route to ensure no students remain on the bus
• Reporting accidents and incidents to administration immediately
• Bus discipline reports forwarded to building administration

Special Transportation (IEP)

• IEP teams may include specialized transportation as a related service
• May include wheelchair-accessible vehicles, aide on the bus, modified routes, harness/restraint systems
• District is responsible for providing transportation specified in the IEP

4. Food Service Staff

Federal Programs

• National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP): administered by USDA through Missouri DESE's School Food Services section
• Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): high-poverty schools may provide free meals to ALL students without individual applications (if ≥40% identified students)
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: supplemental program for selected elementary schools

Staff Requirements

• Food handler training/certification (per local health department requirements)
• USDA professional standards for school nutrition professionals (training hours based on role)
• Background check (RSMo 168.133)

Key Compliance

• USDA meal pattern requirements (whole grains, fruits/vegetables, protein, milk, sodium/fat limits)
• Free and Reduced Price Meal (FRPM) applications and income verification
• Accurate meal counting and claiming for federal reimbursement
• Food safety (HACCP-based procedures)
• Accommodation of food allergies and special dietary needs (with physician documentation)

5. Custodial & Maintenance Staff

Requirements

• Background check (RSMo 168.133)
• Training in: hazardous materials handling (OSHA), blood-borne pathogens, fire safety, building security procedures
• Asbestos awareness training (if building contains asbestos materials — AHERA compliance)

Key Responsibilities

• Building cleanliness and sanitation
• Emergency response (spills, facility damage, weather-related)
• Security (lock/unlock procedures, alarm systems, key management)
• Maintenance of HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems (or coordination with contractors)
• ADA accessibility maintenance (elevators, ramps, door hardware)
• Indoor air quality monitoring

6. Office / Clerical Staff

Requirements

• Background check (RSMo 168.133)
• Training in: FERPA (student records confidentiality), HIPAA (if handling health information), emergency procedures, attendance reporting, visitor management

Responsibilities

• Student enrollment and records management
• Attendance tracking and reporting
• Communication hub (phone, email, visitor reception)
• MOSIS/Core Data entry support
• Financial transactions (fees, fundraising, petty cash)
• Mail, supplies, inventory management
• Emergency communication and coordination support

7. Technology Staff

Roles

• Technology coordinator / IT director (district level)
• Building-level tech support
• Network administrators
• Student data system administrators (SIS, LMS)

Key Compliance Areas

• CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act): districts receiving E-Rate must implement internet filtering and internet safety policies
• FERPA: protecting student data in all technology systems
• Data security: encryption, access controls, backups, incident response
• Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs): required for students and staff
• Student data privacy agreements: vendor contracts must comply with FERPA and Missouri's student data privacy provisions (RSMo 161.096)

E-Rate

Federal program that subsidizes internet connectivity and telecommunications for schools:

• Category 1: Internet access and data transport
• Category 2: Internal networking equipment (switches, Wi-Fi, cabling)
• Discount rates based on poverty level (20-90%)
• Requires CIPA compliance and competitive bidding

8. School Resource Officers (SROs)

MOU Requirements

• ESSA requires districts using COPS grant-funded SROs to have a written MOU
• Best practice: ALL SRO programs should have an MOU defining roles, authority, and limitations

MOU Should Address

• SRO role (law enforcement, informal counselor/mentor, educator on legal topics)
• Scope of authority on school grounds
• Student interview protocols (rights, parent notification)
• Arrest procedures on school property
• Distinction between criminal behavior and routine student discipline
• Data sharing between school and law enforcement
• Training requirements (adolescent development, implicit bias, trauma-informed approaches, de-escalation)
• Complaint process

Key Principles

• SROs should not be involved in routine school discipline matters
• SROs should not be used to enforce school attendance or dress code
• Student Miranda rights apply if SRO is conducting a criminal investigation
• School administrators conducting administrative searches are held to a lower standard (reasonable suspicion) than law enforcement (probable cause)

9. Before/After School Program Staff

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

Federal grant program providing before/after school enrichment:

• Academic support (tutoring, homework help)
• Enrichment activities (STEM, arts, physical activity, social-emotional learning)
• Family engagement programming
• Operates during non-school hours, weekends, and summer

Staff Requirements

• Background checks (RSMo 168.133)
• Training in: child supervision, emergency procedures, behavior management, mandated reporting
• Licensed childcare requirements may apply if program serves younger children (Missouri DHSS childcare licensing)

10. All Staff: Mandated Reporting & Training

Mandated Reporter Status (RSMo 210.115)

ALL school employees (teachers, administrators, paras, bus drivers, custodians, food service, office staff, coaches, volunteers with regular contact) are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.

Reporting Obligations

• Report suspected abuse or neglect immediately to the Children's Division hotline: 1-800-392-3738
• No internal reporting hierarchy required — any employee may (and should) report directly to the hotline
• Reporter's identity is confidential (RSMo 210.150)
• Immunity from liability for good-faith reports (RSMo 210.135)
• Failure to report is a Class A misdemeanor (RSMo 210.165)

Types of Reportable Abuse/Neglect

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Neglect (failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, supervision)
• Educational neglect (habitual truancy without parental effort)

Required Training for All Staff