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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DeLaSalle, a charter school in Kansas City, started requiring students to place their cell phones in magnetically sealed bags in 2023. But now it’s thinking about relaxing the policy in response to student feedback.
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During the most recent school year, KCPS launched a different grading system where the minimum grade on any given assignment is 40% — even if the student didn’t do a single bit of it. It has drawn a mix of praise and criticism.
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Kansas City Public Schools saw about an 80% increase this year in new students arriving from other countries. Several of the schools with the highest growth rates this year were at risk of closure about 18 months ago.
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On May 7, voters in Kansas City, Kansas, will decide whether to approve a ballot measure that would raise property taxes for the next 30 years. The bond would pay to consolidate elementary schools, build new buildings, increase early childhood education, and fund additional renovations.
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Incumbents prevailed in some Missouri school board elections, while other Kansas City-area boards saw shakeups that could shift how they handle book challenges, diversity initiatives, class instruction time and how to best support students.
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Some candidates say they'll be more skeptical of Dale Herl's proposals, like the four-day school week, than the current board. Herl has given a $100 contribution to a candidate.
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Seven candidates are competing for three open seats in this year's high-stakes Independence school board race. Here's what the candidates have to say about school policies regarding trans students, cell phone use in class and mental health care for students.
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Candidates for two open seats on the Lee's Summit school board talk about the district's finances, cellphone in the classrooms and mental health services for students.
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Three candidates will be on the ballot April 2 for two open seats in the Park Hill School District. Here's what they think about mental health for students, cell phones in classrooms and issues regarding transgender students.
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Three candidates are running for two seats on the Liberty school board. Here’s what they think about mental health, cellphones in school and removing books from libraries.