Missouri school drill law

What drills does Missouri require?

Missouri law requires each school district and charter school, starting with the 2026-27 school year, to hold an age-appropriate active shooter exercise in which students, teachers and other school employees practice safety procedures. Districts in the New Madrid Fault earthquake zone must also hold an earthquake emergency exercise at least twice each school year.

DESE (the state education department) also tells districts to hold the active shooter exercise starting in 2026-27. The active shooter law (RSMo 170.315.7) sets no number of exercises per year beyond holding one for the 2026-27 school year and every later year. It applies to school districts and charter schools and does not name private schools. The staff training section of the same law (RSMo 170.315.1(3)) names evacuations, severe weather, earthquakes and fire only as topics of required staff training; it sets no lockdown, evacuation, fire, severe weather, shelter-in-place or reunification drill.

What about school bus drills?

A state rule requires school bus emergency evacuation drills for all students in grades K-6 at least once per semester, with the first drill done each year before October 31. Each public school district board must set the bus evacuation drill requirements for all other students.

Must parents be told, and are there limits on realistic drills?

RSMo 170.315.7 sets no parent notice or opt-out for the student active shooter exercise. It sets no limit on simulated gunfire, role-played attackers or other realistic elements; it requires only that the exercise be age-appropriate.

What about staff active shooter drills?

All school employees may take part in a simulated active shooter and intruder response drill led by law enforcement or school safety professionals. This is optional, not required. Each such drill must include an explanation of its purpose and a safety briefing. Districts and charter schools may work with law enforcement and emergency response agencies on active shooter and armed intruder preparedness.

Which districts must hold earthquake drills?

The earthquake duty applies to districts expected to feel shaking of Modified Mercalli intensity VII or higher from a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the New Madrid Fault, and it covers every school building in those districts. In each exercise, students and staff act out earthquake conditions and the safety steps to take. The state education department may not require any district to hold more than two earthquake drills in one school year. Covered districts must ask state and local emergency management agencies for help building their earthquake procedures. The earthquake procedure law (RSMo 160.451) places this duty on school districts and does not name private or charter schools. Each district must make its earthquake procedures available for public inspection during business hours.

What must emergency plans include?

Each district board and charter school board must adopt a comprehensive emergency operations plan and share it with local law enforcement, fire protection providers and emergency management. The plan law (RSMo 160.480.1) sets no drill types or drill counts. The state education department must make sure every year that districts and charter schools have adopted the plan. The state's accreditation standards (MSIP 6) include an indicator on emergency preparedness drills being performed in line with state law and local ordinance. The state protocol for severe bleeding requires bleeding control kits to be presented and used in all drills and emergencies.

What has changed recently?

2025 SB 68 made the staff active shooter and intruder drill optional (changing "shall" to "may") and added the student active shooter exercise. 2026 HB 1866, approved by the Governor on May 6, 2026, changed "school personnel" to "school employees" in the optional staff drill. The current text of RSMo 170.315 took effect August 28, 2026.