General Department Organization

PURPOSE: This rule describes the organization of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as the general courses, methods and procedures where the public may obtain information and make submissions or requests. (1) The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (department) is organized under the State Board of Education (board) and serves in an administrative, supervisory, and leadership role as provided by the constitution, statute, and board policy. (A) Responsibility for policymaking and general oversight of public education rests with the board. The board consists of eight (8) persons who are appointed by the governor for eight- (8-) year terms. (B) The chief administrative officer of the board is the commissioner of education (commissioner), who is appointed and serves at the pleasure of the board. (C) The department is made up of two (2) divisions: The Division of Financial and Administrative Services and the Division of Learning Services. A deputy commissioner who reports directly to the commissioner oversees each division. (2) As a public agency, the department is open to requests, submissions, and inquiries from the public. Regular office hours are maintained from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The following general procedures are established to assist any person or group seeking information or making requests: (A) Inquiries concerning a program, policy, or procedure administered by the department should be addressed to 205 Jefferson Street, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480. Telephone inquiries may be directed to the central department number, (573) 751-4212; (B) Requests for records and data— 1. Requests pursuant to Chapter 610, RSMo, for existing department records may be made to the records custodian via email at recordscustodian@dese.mo.gov. Please see 5 CSR 10-3.010, Access to Public Records and Fees for Copying of Public Records, for more details; 2. Requests for personal records should be made by an employee, parent, eligible student, client, or person who has been authorized to receive records on their behalf, as follows: A. Employee record requests should be made to the employee’s human resources office; B. State school record requests may be made to— (I) The Missouri School for the Blind at 3815 Magnolia Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110; (II) The Missouri School for the Deaf at Missouri School for the Deaf, Attn: Superintendent’s Office, 505 E. 5th Street, Fulton, MO 65251; or (III) The Missouri School for the Severely Disabled at mssd@dese.mo.gov; C. Parent requests for their student’s Child Complaint documentation or Due Process complaints should be made to secompliance@dese.mo.gov; D. Adult education and literacy and high school equivalency record requests should be made to ael@dese.mo.gov; E. Record request for Disability Determination Services and Vocational Rehabilitation should be made to info@vr.dese.mo.gov; and F. Record requests for Veterans’ Education should be made to mosaa@dese.mo.gov; and 3. Requests for data reports should be made to the Office of Data Management via web application at https://apps.dese.mo.gov/DataRequestForm/ DataRequest.aspx; (C) Questions concerning local school districts in most cases should be directed to the district itself or to the area supervisor; and (D) Meetings of the board are usually held monthly and are open to the public. The date, time, and place of these meetings are publicized as required by section 161.072, RSMo. Department meetings are held pursuant to Chapter 610, RSMo, unless otherwise specified by statute. AUTHORITY: sections 161.092 and 536.023(3), RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed May 28, 1976, effective Oct. 1, 1976. Amended: Filed July 11, 1977, effective Oct. 15, 1977. Amended: Filed Aug. 27, 2013, effective March 30, 2014. Amended: Filed June 16, 2021, effective Feb. 28, 2022. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014, and 536.023, RSMo 1975, amended 1976, 1997, 2004.