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Kansas City Today

The biggest education stories of 2023

By Savannah Hawley-Bates,
Anna Schmidt
Published December 28, 2023 at 4:00 AM CST
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Schools are still struggling to raise attendance rates and student performance to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, school districts are preparing for a new law in Kansas that allows students to transfer to schools outside the district where they live.

More than two years after returning to in-person instruction, Kansas City schools are still being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, school lunch debt in Kansas climbed to over $23 million and almost one-fourth of Missouri students are considered chronically absentee.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin and Jodi Fortino discuss the biggest issues facing schools in the region.

A new law that goes into effect in January allows Kansas students to transfer to schools outside the district where they live, as long as there is space available. But open enrollment won’t be simple, and it doesn’t come with guarantees.

Suzanne Perez with the Kansas News Service shares how Kansas districts are preparing for the shift.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Anna Schmidt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Tags
Kansas City Today educationCOVID-19Missouri State Board of Educationschool attendanceschoolKansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS)Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)
Savannah Hawley-Bates
When news breaks, it can be easy to rely on officials and people in power to get information fast. As KCUR’s general assignment and breaking news reporter, I want to bring you the human faces of the day’s biggest stories. Whether it’s a local shop owner or a worker on the picket line, I want to give you the stories of the real people who are driving change in the Kansas City area. Email me at savannahhawley@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @savannahhawley.
See stories by Savannah Hawley-Bates
Anna Schmidt
Anna Schmidt is the fall 2023 intern for KCUR Studios. She recently graduated from Kansas State University, where she was the Opinions Desk Editor for the Collegian student newspaper and took over the role of podcast host. You can email her at anna.schmidt@kcur.org.
See stories by Anna Schmidt
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