schools

While some school district leaders report positive immediate outcomes, there is limited research to show how shortening the school week affects student learning and socialization — or how parents tackle child care and work schedules.

The number of homeschooled students in Missouri has nearly doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study from St. Louis University.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes that lowering a GPA requirement for teachers will improve teacher recruitment and retention without reducing educator quality.

Arts programs are among the first to be trimmed by Missouri school districts, especially after the COVID pandemic. But arts educators are trying to turn the tide in arts education disinvestment.

Karla Eslinger, an Ozark Republican who served the past four years as a Missouri state senator, passed on a second term. Instead, she began her tenure as commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in June.

Shawnee Mission North High School teacher Jennifer Caedran Sullivan alleged that the district violated her freedom of speech and religion after she spoke in opposition to required diversity and inclusion trainings.

The district has more than 14,000 students enrolled for the first time since the COVID pandemic, driven largely by growth in Northeast area schools.

About 80 students in the Independence School District had transferred away from their neighborhood schools due to lack of space. The district hopes to relieve that pressure by repurposing an elementary auditorium into six new classrooms.

Members of the Kansas State Board of Education say they want to offer guidelines to local districts but don’t plan to impose statewide restrictions. Cellphone policies, like budget or curriculum decisions, are ultimately up to local school boards.

Backers of Missouri Amendment 2, which would legalized sports gambling, claim in TV and online ads that the resulting revenue will boost public education. But its detractors point out there is no evidence Missouri schools will see any benefit.

The Midwest Newsroom and its partners found that homeless students eligible for enrollment, transportation and academic support in most rural school districts are not getting these services because the districts are undercounting students without stable housing and not applying for available funds.

Voters in November will decide five of the 10 seats on the Kansas Board of Education. The results could shift the political and ideological balance on the board, which could affect what Kansas students learn in classrooms.