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Clever R-V School District

Excellence In All We Do

Missouri Law Wastewater Testing

Missouri Law Wastewater Testing

October 14, 2026

Clever R-V School District, along with 163 other schools across the state, has been selected to participate in the Wastewater Testing for School Safety program, mandated by state law for the 2026-27 school year. This program is administered by the Missouri Department of Public Safety in coordination with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. On June 30, 2026, Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law two pieces of legislation requiring schools selected by DPS to participate in the state’s efforts to monitor and identify dangerous drugs in schools, including fentanyl, carfentanil, nitazenes and other substances.

Wastewater is sampled from our buildings’ outside sewer pipe, during school hours by the state’s vendor Stercus Bioanalytics. Testing shows broad trends, but it does not test or identify individual students or staff.

A result cannot tell us:

  • who used a substance
  • how many people used it, or how much
  • whether it was used on school property or during the school day
  • where in the building it entered the wastewater

A single result is one piece of information. It does not show widespread use among students, and it is not a reflection of our school or student body.

 

  • Yes. School safety testing is mandated pursuant to Section 2.020 of the DESE Appropriations Bill 2002. Corresponding program funding is allocated under Section 8.065 of the DPS Appropriations Bill 2008.

  • Zero cost to schools. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) maintains a contract with Mighty Good Solutions (dba Stercus Bioanalytics) and manages all invoicing directly. There is no cost to schools or districts.

  • The vendor will contact schools to collect basic logistical information, such as school calendars, facility blueprints, scheduled closures, and major campus events (e.g., athletic games). This ensures sampling dates are aligned with normal operational days, and sampling is isolated to the school’s wastewater only. 

  • Public Records & Resource Portal. Testing results are subject to public records requests and DPS will fulfill requests for reports as needed. Additionally, DPS is developing a public resource webpage to share region-level data (by Highway Patrol Troop) support resources.

  • A positive result confirms that an individual (student, faculty, staff, vendor, or visitor) who used school facilities during sampling hours consumed a tested drug within the last 24–72 hours. Testing Limitations: Results are anonymous and cannot identify specific individuals, determine if drugs were consumed on school grounds, or specify exact usage amounts.

  • Positive results carry no expectations of school-led investigations or student discipline; Missouri State Highway Patrol PIOs are available to assist with communications and education.