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Kansas City Today

Kansas City charters outpace public schools

By Nomin Ujiyediin,
Byron J. Love
Published December 8, 2021 at 4:00 AM CST
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Kansas City charter schools have surpassed public schools in K-12 enrollment for the first time ever. Why are more parents sending their students to charter schools, and how do they work? Also, Kansas utility companies give away millions in charitable donations every year, but residents are paying for most of it.

Charter schools — which are publicly-funded schools that operate outside the Kansas City district's control and free of many regulations followed by traditional public schools — have seen a higher enrollment rate compared to their counterparts. Kansas City Beacon reporter Maria Benevento explains why some parents say that charters give them and their children more options for education.

Utility companies in Kansas, such as Evergy and the Kansas Gas Service, choose charities every year they think are worthy of millions of dollars — and charge customers for much of it. Brian Grimmett of the Kansas News Service investigates why consumer advocates say the practice is problematic.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR onTwitter andFacebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

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Kansas City Today Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)charter schoolsKansas City Public SchoolsKansas News ServiceEvergycharityCoronavirusvaccinesMask Mandates
Nomin Ujiyediin
As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
See stories by Nomin Ujiyediin
Byron J. Love
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
See stories by Byron J. Love
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