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Equity For Kansas City Schools | Urban Climate Change

By Steve Kraske,
Chris Young, Zach Wilson, Mackenzie Martin
Published March 1, 2021 at 10:53 PM CST
Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR 89.3
In June 2020, Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell wrote a scathing letter to Kansas City Councilmembers calling an incentive deal for a construction company "systemically racist."

The head of the Kansas City Public Schools district wants more say on future development projects, and the impact climate change could have on urban environments like the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Segment 1, beginning at 5:00: Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent says future development projects should 'focus on equity.'

Mark Bedell is pleased to see Kansas City reducing its tax incentive policies for developers, which have cost schools millions of dollars that could have gone towards educating local students. He still feels the district should have a bigger seat at the table when it comes to considering proposed development projects. "We're not an anti-economic development district, but we want to have a focus on equity," Bedell says.

Segment 2, beginning at 40:00: How climate change could impact the Kansas City metro over the next century.

Kansas City's recent cold snap is one example of the kinds of extreme temperatures the Midwest will continue to see as a result of climate change. That's because global warming isn't just about it getting hotter, it's causing more extreme weather events. The result is the country will continue experiencing hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires.

Tags
Up To Date Talk ShowKansas City Missouri (KCMO)Kansas City Public Schoolstax abatementtax incentiveMark BedellCoronavirusremote learningClimate ChangeUMKCglobal warmingfloodingfireweather
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Chris Young
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
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Zach Wilson
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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Mackenzie Martin
Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin