Maria Benevento
Education Reporter, Kansas City BeaconMaria Benevento is the education reporter at The Kansas City Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member.
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Sales tax on certain clothing, school supplies and computers is waived this weekend. -
Voters in Johnson and Miami counties and much of northern, western and southeastern Kansas chose Republican candidates for the general election in November. Five incumbents decided not to run for reelection, setting up a fight for political control. -
Amendment 5’s sponsor says it won’t affect schools in the short term and could help in the long term. But critics say it leaves too many unanswered questions. -
Starting pay for Kansas City public school teachers is now higher than $50,000, and other staff members will also see their pay increase. -
As Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy and the younger grades of Hogan College Preparatory face closure, other schools are expanding to keep their buildings open. -
Kansas City Public Schools has started some building projects funded by the $424 million general obligation bond, and is seeking more public input on the details of others. Its plan includes improving every school in the district, and building two new elementaries. -
Preliminary results from the April 7, 2026, elections in Hickman Mills, Independence and other districts saw some new candidates win seats, while incumbents returned for another term in others. -
A compliance report says the North Kansas City school district discovered procurement requirements weren’t being followed for payments to an vendor — whose owner was the brother of the IT employee approving invoices. -
Bills proposed by Republican legislators in Missouri include posting the 10 Commandments in classrooms, history lessons that frame religion in a positive light and allowing students to leave school for religious education. -
Current and former employees of the Kansas City charter school said they’re frustrated with the level of response from the board after they raised serious concerns about leadership instability, high staff turnover, potential financial mismanagement and student safety.
