I’m a retired teacher from Arkansas now living in Missouri. I taught in many schools, but I’ve always had a special fondness for small rural districts. I grew up in rural Kansas, and teaching in a rural school felt like coming home.
You know the schools I mean — the one with unlimited spirit but limited resources. The ones where some kids show up in flat bed trucks and boots. The ones where kids attend the same schools their parents and grandparents attended. These schools really have the best students and parents because the whole village is raising the children.
But over my thirty-year career, I saw many rural schools close. I fear the same could happen in Missouri.
Small towns can’t fund schools alone. Property taxes are already more than many can afford. The founding fathers understood that in a democracy public education is a government responsibility — but Missouri’s constitution does not guarantee it. And it needs to. Here’s why.
School “choice” policies allow families to educate their children in different settings. Choice can be good. Parents know their children best. But when students leave public schools for private, online, or other options, funding leaves with them. We all know it costs the same to heat the house with one income or two -but it’s a whole lot easier with two. Same for schools. Even a few empty desks can strain a small district’s budget. As enrollment drops, programs shrink, and schools consolidate or close.
In Missouri, vouchers help some families, especially those with special needs, but they can widen funding gaps for public schools. Arkansas has seen this with vouchers. New mandates, such as screening all students for gifted programs, are worthwhile — yet often unfunded, leaving schools scrambling to cover costs.
So what can we do?
The Missouri Right to Public Education is a ballot initiative to amend the Missouri Constitution and make adequate public school funding a state priority. First, it must qualify for the ballot. Then voters can decide.
Without stronger protections, Missouri schools will continue to rank near the bottom nationally in funding and performance. That’s not good enough for our children and grandchildren.
I don’t know about yours, but my grandkid is the smartest thing around, and I want him to have a good education. Our schools are good, but they are facing funding challenges. I’ve seen what can happen. This amendment would hold the state responsible for adequate public school funding as a priority and protect our local schools from hard choices and higher local taxes. This is something we can all agree on. It’s not party politics. It’s about our kids and the future of Missouri.
Even if you choose another educational path for your child, strong public schools benefit us all.
Please take time to learn more at https://moeducation.org. And when you see someone gathering signatures for this petition, I hope you’ll join me in signing.
Sue Busch
Cuba
