Participation in sanctioned program activities, excused absences allowed — state aid, computation for such activities

1. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (1) The Future Farmers of America Organization (FFA Organization), Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and 4-H programs in the state and the organized competitions held as a part of the Missouri state fair involve an education and learning process that is not otherwise available in the regular curriculum of secondary education in Missouri; (2) The principles and practices learned by students in such programs are highly beneficial to students; (3) Participation in such programs should be encouraged; and (4) One method of encouraging participation in such programs is to allow such participation to be counted as school attendance for the purpose of determining state school aid. 2. It is the purpose and intent of this section to assure that participation of students in sanctioned activities of such programs be allowed to such extent as may be determined appropriate by the school boards of the various school districts. 3. Any school district which allows an excused absence for athletics or any other extracurricular school activity shall allow, pursuant to its written policy and with the approval of the responsible sponsoring school employee, any student enrolled in the district to use such regularly scheduled instructional time as is reasonably necessary for such student to participate in an officially sanctioned activity of any such program; provided, if the program is not a part of the Missouri state fair or 4-H, that such program has a local chapter which is officially recognized by the student's school. 4. For the purpose of distributing state school aid pursuant to section 163.031, a student who is participating in an officially sanctioned activity of any such program, as provided pursuant to subsection 3 of this section, shall be considered to be attending regularly scheduled instruction in the district and such hours of participation occurring during the regular school day shall be included in the district's calculation of average daily attendance, as defined in section 163.011.