Maria Benevento

The governor signed legislation about religion in public schools, using cellphones during the school day and protections against discrimination related to hair style or texture.

Herl has led the Independence, Missouri, school district — which enrolls about 14,000 K-12 students — since 2013. Community members praised Herl for managing finances, improving school buildings and sports facilities, and leading innovations like the four-day school week.

Horizon Academy features small class sizes and highly trained staff, but the intensive services come with a high price tag.

A recruitment manager at Missouri Western State University passed along an order to stop doing visits or fairs at 23 urban and inner-suburb schools in Kansas City and St. Louis. The school says that directive was reversed, but questions remain about who ordered the email, what inspired it and what it means for students.

Kansas City Public Schools and three other districts saw bond issues passed by voters Tuesday, allowing them to fund construction projects and pay for maintenance. Five districts in the Kansas City area also held school board elections.

Voters in the Park Hill School District will see two tax measures on their April 8 ballot. Proposition G would raise the operating tax rate to support teacher salary increases. Proposition O would allow the district to borrow money for building renovations and replacements.

The bond question in North Kansas City's April 8 election would help build new performing arts centers and two high schools and fund renovations at middle schools. The district says the tax rate would stay the same whether or not voters approve the bond.

The bond plan calls for building new elementary schools, major renovations and reopening Southwest High School as a middle school. Kansas City voters have not passed a bond for KCPS since the 1960s, and the district has been left with more than $600 million worth of repair needs.

An exemption for certain employers means public college students don’t always benefit from Missouri’s new minimum wage at their on-campus jobs. Federal law also allows colleges and universities to pay students less than $7.25 an hour under certain conditions.

The university had asked Kansas City to redraw boundaries to transfer 80 acres from Kansas City to Parkville, putting its whole campus and nearby undeveloped property within the same city. But Kansas City staff recommended denying the request.