Education

Kansas City Mayor Sly James and School Board President Airick Leonard West committed to a series of community conversations over the next few months about the governance of the school district. Neither has endorsed the idea of a mayoral takeover of schools, but they say no idea is off the table.

Mayor James says he began convening people to talk about the school district after Missouri education commissioner Chris Nicastro told him that it was difficult to do anything in Kansas City because it's so divided.

By Sylvia Maria Gross

By Dan Verbeck

Kansas City, MO. – Kansas City's Mayor wants to run the Kansas City School District.

A forum of educators, politicians and parents drawn together by Kansas City's Mayor to save the district from a state takeover is wagering the Missouri Board of Education will buy in.

By Dan Verbeck

Kansas City, MO – A diverse collection of forces are working alone or in concert to help the soon-to-be- accreditation-stripped Kansas City School District. One high profile group of minority leaders is asking Missouri's Education Commissioner to immediately appoint a panel to take over the District. Mayor Sly James has convened his own forum that includes neighboring schools.

The breaking developments come just days before the state education board meets and the local district is on the agenda.

By Dan Verbeck

Kansas City, MO. – The Kansas City School District has launched a fast search for administrators to replace three top executives who quit amid a furor over possible state takeover of the district. One school board member lays blame squarely on the state education department.

By Sylvia Maria Gross

By Sylvia Maria Gross

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A proposal to eliminate the Kansas City Missouri school board won't be on the agenda at tomorrow's board meeting. But the state education commissioner has asked board members to replace themselves with a state appointed board, or risk a takeover in January.

By Alex Smith

LAWRENCE, Ks. – When the Kansas City Missouri school district officially loses its accreditation on January 1, 2012, students in the district may have the option of enrolling in other district's schools. And the Kansas City district would be required to pay tuition and transportation costs for any student who does that.