By Team Progress MO
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Kids across the state of Missouri have started returning to their classrooms, and the signs of their return are everywhere: from back-to-school shopping in our stores to the smiling photos posted by proud parents on social media. But politicians in Missouri, in their desperation to out-extreme each other, are instead campaigning on hurting students and teachers.
Joe Nicola, running for State Senate District 11 in eastern Kansas City, demands “education freedom without government strings attached.” Translated, Nicola, who founded his own church, wants public taxpayer money in the form of vouchers for students to attend private and religious schools.
Adam Schnelting, running for State Senate District 23 in St. Charles, voted in favor of SB 727 to funnel public money into private schools. According to Dr. Patrick Layden, Executive Director of the NEA, SB 727’s unfunded mandates “jeopardize the education and well-being of countless Missouri students.”
David Gregory, running for State Senate District 15 in west St. Louis County, has focused his campaign on promoting vouchers, telling West News Magazine: “We will become the best by creating competition with education freedom and forcing our schools to compete for our children.”
James Coyne, running for State Senate District 19 in Boone County, is campaigning on eliminating the state income tax without any revenue offsets to maintain the paltry school funding that exists. Missouri ranks 49th nationally in the percent of school funding coming from state resources as of a 2020 report from former auditor Nicole Galloway.
These candidates have aligned themselves with a policy platform that advocates for the elimination of the Department of Education. It also takes swipes at “failing schools” and an “education crisis.”
Missouri public schools face a funding shortage due to selfish politicians in Jefferson City and a teacher shortage due to bottom-five salaries in the U.S. Over 90% of Missouri kids attend their local public schools. We should focus on funding them rather than taking public taxpayer money to give to private and religious schools.