Weekly Update
January 17, 2025
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Former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt administers the oath of office to newly-elected Governor Mike Kehoe with his wife Claudia and family by his side. PHOTO CREDIT: Office of the Governor | |
Kehoe credits mentorship in inaugural speech | |
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Onlookers gathered at the Missouri State Capitol early Monday afternoon to witness the swearing-in ceremonies for the state's newly elected officials. Incoming Governor Mike Kehoe received a warm reception despite temperatures well below freezing.
Former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, a friend of the Kehoe family, administered the oath of office. In his prepared remarks, Kehoe reflected on his upbringing as the youngest of six children, raised by a hardworking, faith-driven single mother in North St. Louis. He credited his success to the mentorship of Dave Sinclair, an iconic St. Louis businessman with similar humble beginnings who gave him a job washing cars in high school.
"My story is living proof that a mentor in a young person's life can have a life-long impact," said Kehoe. "Mr. Sinclair reinforced the values my mother taught me, and that was exactly what I needed and, quite frankly, other young kids who come from struggling backgrounds."
Kehoe outlined his policy priorities, emphasizing the importance of providing all students access to quality education through strengthening public schools and expanding school choice.
"Whether it's a four-year college or career technical education, schools that teach kids how to think – not what to think – are the key to long-term self-reliance."
The governor also highlighted plans to address public safety, reduce taxes, and combat crime.
Within an hour of the ceremony, Governor Kehoe signed a series of Executive Orders as part of a "Safer Missouri" initiative.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board commented this week, "Policy-wise, Kehoe has voiced some promising priorities like child-care expansion, which he has called a personal issue."
Aligned's Take: We congratulate Governor Kehoe and appreciate his long-standing commitment to early care and education. We look forward to working with his administration over the next four years.
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Child advocates met with Speaker Patterson to discuss priorities for 2025. Pictured left to right: Brian Schmidt, Kids Win Missouri; Deidre Anderson-Barbee, Starting Early; Speaker Jon Patterson, Missouri House of Representatives; Emily van Schenkof, Missouri Children's Trust Fund; Jim Malle, Aligned. | |
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House and Senate leaders pick chairs
Aligned and other child advocates met with Speaker Jon Patterson this week to discuss a proposal to create a community childcare exchange that would allow employees, employers, the state of Missouri, and the federal government to share in the cost of childcare.
A community intermediary would coordinate the exchange at the local level. This model is similar to the ones successfully implemented in other states like Michigan and Kentucky. This solution would allow businesses to pool resources and share the costs of creating childcare slots to support workforce needs.
Legislative activity in both chambers was light this week. On Tuesday, the Senate and House adopted operating rules, and Republicans announced committee assignments.
Pro tem Cindy O'Laughlin tapped Senator Rick Brattin (R-31) to lead the Senate Committee on Education. Speaker Jon Patterson selected Representative Ed Lewis (R-6) to head the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education.
List of House Committees
List of Senate Committees
Legislative Action
SB 70 (Gregory-15) - Allows the enrollment of nonresident students in public school districts - Referred to Senate - Education on 1-16-25.
HB 371 (Pollitt) - Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop, use, and report student grade-level equivalence data - Referred to House - Elementary and Secondary Education on 1-16-25.
HB 711 (Pollitt) - Establishes transfer procedures to nonresident districts for students in public schools - Referred to House - Elementary and Secondary Education on 1-16-25.
Read the weekly legislative report.
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Aligned President Torree Pederson and Manager of Policy and Outreach Claudia Fury-Aguirre kicked off the Kansas legislative session with a flurry of meetings this week in Topeka. | |
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Kansas News
Kelly eyes key education priorities in speech
In her State of the State Address, Governor Laura Kelly argued that “how we invest in […] children now will determine our state’s trajectory for the rest of this century.” The speech laid out several key education policy priorities aimed at strengthening the education system and preparing the state for long-term success:
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Early Childhood Education and Care: Governor Kelly proposed consolidating early childhood services under a single Office of Early Childhood to streamline access for families and providers. This approach aims to remove bureaucratic barriers, increase childcare capacity, and make services more accessible and affordable for families.
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Public School Investment: The governor reaffirmed her commitment to fully funding public schools for the seventh consecutive year. She emphasized public schools as the cornerstone of Kansas communities and rejected any attempts to divert public funds to private schools.
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Special Education: Building on last year’s historic $75 million investment in special education, Governor Kelly pledged to fully fund special education by the 2028-2029 school year, ensuring students receive the support they need.
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Literacy Improvement: The "Blueprint for Literacy," enacted with bipartisan support, aims to bring 90% of Kansas students to the reading benchmark by 2033. The initiative focuses on providing teachers with the training and tools necessary to improve literacy rates statewide.
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Free School Lunches: To combat childhood hunger, the governor proposed funding free school lunches for over 35,000 Kansas students, particularly in rural areas, reducing stigma and improving learning outcomes.
In response to the Governor’s address, Senate President Ty Masterson emphasized Republican priorities for a “student-focused system that maximizes opportunities for parents, so their kids have the best chance to succeed and achieve their dreams.”
Masterson's comments indicate upcoming private school choice legislation, potentially changing the distribution of public education funds. The debate over balancing public school investment with expanded parental options will be a central focus as the legislative session unfolds.
Aligned’s Take: With declining enrollment, potential tax cuts, and anticipated private school choice legislation, the stakes are high for the 2026 rewrite of Kansas’s K-12 funding formula.
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Governor Kelly Releases Budget
Governor Kelly’s budget recommendation prioritizes education funding, marking the seventh consecutive year of fully funding K-12 schools at constitutional levels.
Highlights include:
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Special Education: An additional $72.6 million in FY 2026 to bring funding for excess costs to 80.7%, with a plan to fully fund by FY 2029.
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Free and Reduced Lunches: $5.5 million to eliminate co-payments for students on reduced lunch, benefiting 36,000 students.
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AP Exam Fee Waivers: $500,000 to waive Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students.
New Revenue Projections
Kansas’s revenue projections for FY 2025 anticipate total tax receipts of $9.65 billion, a 3.5% decline from the prior year, reflecting temporary dips in income and sales tax revenues.
For FY 2026, total tax receipts are expected to rebound slightly to $9.86 billion, marking a 2.2% increase. This recovery is driven by modest growth in income and compensating use taxes, while sales and excise taxes remain flat.
Despite these fluctuations, Kansas maintains a strong fiscal position with a projected ending balance of $2.07 billion for FY 2025 and $1.25 billion for FY 2026, supported by a robust Budget Stabilization Fund exceeding $1.7 billion.
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In Kansas City's Operation Breakthrough's Ignition Lab program, high school students recently electrified a 1969 Chevelle. | |
Inventive Minds Ignite at KC STEM Center | |
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Today is K.I.D - National Kid Inventors Day, which coincides with Benjamin Franklin's birthday and celebrates some of the incredible inventions made by children. From fun creations like popsicles, trampolines, and Christmas Lights to revolutionary systems like Braille, there are no limits to a child's naturally curious mind.
Many factors can lead to an inventive kid, ranging from inherent imagination and creativity to access to role models, encouragement, and support. Interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects will drive kids to explore how things work.
Speaking of driving, in previous newsletters, Aligned shared our experience touring Kansas City's Operation Breakthrough (OB) and its Ignition Lab, a real-world learning space for students from 14-18 years of age. The lab opened in 2021 with the support of KC Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce and his foundation, Eighty-Seven and Running.
Recently, on the New Heights podcast, Kelce explained that the STEM program at OB stopped after the 8th grade, and he wanted to see that extend through the high school years. "That's when we created the Ignition Lab, which is a STEM lab. It has everything from a mechanic shop to a robotics lab and an entertainment studio. It has everything you could possibly need," he said.
Students in the automotive engineering cohort learn welding, build Electrathon cars, and restore vintage cards by converting them into electric drive trains. Kelce drove one of the team's projects, a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle, to the Chiefs game against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium in December.
You can purchase a ticket and enter the drawing to win this car here.
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Upcoming Events at Aligned | |
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SLDS Lunch and Learn
Join Aligned for a Lunch and Learn in Topeka on Monday, January 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in committee room 142-S. We will discuss our Statewide Longitudinal Data bill (SLDS), a key policy priority for this legislative session.
Learn more about SLDS here.
Earn a Georgetown University Certificate in Finance
Join us in June as Aligned and Georgetown University present the Edumonics Certificate in Education Finance course in Kansas City.
You will learn about:
- Cost drivers in education
- Allocation and accountability structures
- Instruction delivery model implications
- ESSA and state policy effects in a local context
- Productivity analyses
Participants earn 3.0 CEUs, 36 CPEs, and/or 30 professional development credits upon successful program completion.
Register to attend the in-person event.
Download our brochure for sponsorship opportunities.
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With legislative sessions officially underway in Kansas and Missouri, our teams hit the ground running in both state capitols; we’re bracing for a busy season—and a brutally cold week ahead!
Bundle up!
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About Aligned
Aligned is the only state-wide non-profit, nonpartisan business group working in Kansas and Missouri on educational issues impacting the full development of our children, from supporting high-quality early learning to solid secondary programs that provide rigorous academic programs and real-world learning opportunities.
Our vision is that our public education systems in Kansas and Missouri have the resources and flexibility to prepare students to pursue the future of their choice.
We are currently focused on education policies that will strengthen early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and school finance reform.
Learn more about our work.
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