As Aligned closes out 2024, we reflect on a year of historic educational investments and significant policy wins for students across Missouri and Kansas. This year also brought exciting growth to Aligned: our team has expanded, bringing new talent and expertise that will allow us to tackle more challenges and make an even bigger impact on education policy. 

Today, we're proud to share the roadmap guiding our work in Jefferson City and Topeka as we work to secure a quality education and an opportunity to succeed for every student. 

Aligned Missouri Priorities

Aligned will continue to focus on early care and education solutions, open enrollment and college access, and school finance reform. Yesterday, we presented our priorities for 2025 to lawmakers and partners in a webinar detailing our priorities' specifics.

You can see the slides here.

We are serving on an advisory council led by Kids Win Missouri to address childcare supply issues in Missouri and make recommendations to Governor-elect Mike Kehoe and legislative leaders. These recommendations include reallocating funding from Missouri's Quality Pre-K Grant Program (MOQPK) and establishing a cost-sharing model between employees, employers, and the state to improve access to quality childcare for Missouri's working families.

We also support the implementation of provisions included in SB 727, which passed last session. These provisions increase access to high-quality PreK options for families, schools, and providers.

Aligned Kansas Priorities

For the 2025 legislative session, Aligned is prioritizing two key policy initiatives in Kansas: enacting a Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) and evaluating potential changes to the state's K-12 funding formula.

An SLDS is a secure tool that integrates education, workforce, and other critical data. It tracks students from early childhood through postsecondary education and into their careers. This system provides actionable insights for policymakers, educators, employers, and students, answering questions such as which occupations are in demand, where employment opportunities exist, and which programs can help Kansans succeed.

For Kansas, an SLDS would enable informed decision-making by identifying student outcomes, workforce readiness, and economic growth trends, ensuring education and training programs align with the state's workforce needs. With 42 states already utilizing or developing SLDSs, Kansas has an opportunity to build a system tailored to its unique challenges and goals.

School funding is another pressing issue in the Sunflower State, with the current K-12 funding formula set to expire in 2027. The formula represents more than 60% of the state budget and is critical in determining how resources are distributed to school districts, impacting every aspect of education. Aligned is preparing recommendations to improve how Kansas allocates state dollars to ensure the formula supports adequate education funding.

For a deeper dive, check out Aligned's new policy new policy brief on the funding formula.

Missouri News

Childcare subsidy payment backlog nearly resolved

When the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) launched a new data system for subsidy applications and payments in December 2023, it experienced technical challenges related to system-wide failures, which resulted in a significant backlog of application processing and provider payments. 

Aligned has closely monitored this situation for the past six months and met with lawmakers and department leadership to discuss its impact on childcare providers in the state. We have shared updates with our readers each month. We are pleased to report that, according to the Child Care Subsidy Backlog Status Report, as of December 13, 97% of the 1,878 providers impacted between January and May had their payments reviewed and corrected, if applicable. 

In an email to Aligned dated December 11, 2024, Dr. Pam Thomas, Assistant Commissioner of Childhood, explained, “Although there have been unprecedented challenges due to the data system this year, there have also been successes” related to the child care subsidy program which include:  

• Payments of over $197 million to childcare providers serving subsidy-eligible children
• Increased provider reimbursement rates to the 100th percentile of the market rate for infants and 65th percentile for preschool and school-age children
• Payments of over $47 million in relief funds to nearly 2,000 subsidy providers to support their operations. 

We appreciate DESE’s commitment to transparency and issue resolution during this difficult time and look forward to a well-supported childcare provider community in 2025. 

More than 200 education bills pre-filed

Missouri lawmakers began pre-filing legislation on December 1. As of yesterday, our tracking reports show more than 200 bills related to education. 

Some of the most read bills include:

• HB 31 (Davidson) requires a prosecuting attorney to have probable cause before reviewing enrollment declarations submitted to the record of deeds.

• HB 77 (Loy) establishes the “Missouri Parental Choice Tax Credit Act,” which gives homeschool parents a tax credit for eligible expenses.

Bills that Aligned will follow closely include:

• SB 70 (Gregory) establishes the “Public School Open Enrollment Act” to enable students to transfer from their district of residence resident district to a nonresident district magnet school.

• HB 267 (Shields) removes the sunset provision on the state’s teacher externship program

• HB 269 (Shields) creates a childcare tax credit program for employers, providers, and families.

State Board lowers GPA requirement for teacher certification

At the December State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, members unanimously voted to lower the GPA requirement for teacher certification from 3.0 to 2.5 in a teacher’s content area. The change aims to expand the pool of eligible teachers to address teacher shortages. DESE emphasized that research shows no significant correlation between a higher GPA and teacher effectiveness, with licensing tests and performance assessments remaining key certification measures. Special education teachers must still meet the 3.0 threshold. The board also reinstated a general science certification to broaden opportunities for science educators.

SBOE has adopted its legislative priorities for 2025.

Aligned was pleased to see the board's support for the continued expansion of Pre-K for 3 and 4-year-olds and the continued funding of literacy initiatives that support the Science of Reading instruction. 

Budget and Revenue Update

Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe, along with Senate Appropriations Chairman Senator. Lincoln Hough (R-Greene Co) and House Budget Committee Vice Chairman Dirk Deaton (R-McDonald Co) jointly announced the state's revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026).

Known as a "consensus revenue estimate (CRE)," the forecast is a calculation of the average revenue collected each month of the calendar year, state and national economic trends, and any projected cuts to revenue collections (such as a scheduled income tax cut) and is then used as a base for the next state budget. 

The CRE reached for FY26 projects 1.6% growth over FY25, the current Fiscal Year, which is projected to be a 0.6% decline from revenue collected in FY24. However, as of the beginning of December, current revenue collections for FY25 were approximately 4% less than FY24, leading us to believe portions of the budget may face significant challenges next spring. 

The MOST Policy Initiative, a Missouri-based public policy think tank, published a paper that provides an in-depth look at the consensus revenue estimating process.

In other news

• St. Louis school board member urges criminal probe into credit card spending
• A second Trump administration may tighten school lunch eligibility
• Homeschooling in Missouri has doubled, lowering school enrollment
• Biden signs law mandating FAFSA rollout by Oct. 1 each school year
• Snow days may come at a significant cost for Missouri school districts

Kansas News

Kansas joins national trend to limit student cell phone use

Last week, the Kansas State Board of Education unanimously approved recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time.

These recommendations focus on enhancing parental oversight of school-issued devices, promoting balanced digital use, and addressing the mental health impacts of screen time. Highlights include granting parents full access to district-owned devices, emphasizing non-digital learning experiences, and limiting personal device use during the school day, particularly for elementary and middle school students.

While phones help students communicate with their families, research increasingly shows their role in classroom distractions, reduced attention spans, and worsening mental health.

Kansas joins a growing number of states that encourage or require local school districts to limit cell phone and digital device use on school property. Although the State Board’s recommendations are voluntary for districts, other states, like Florida, have enacted laws prohibiting phone use during instructional time.

In Missouri, Representative Kathy Steinhoff pre-filed HB 306, which requires public school districts and charter schools to prevent students from using cell phones during school hours. 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education issued a resource titled Planning Together: A Playbook for Student Personal Device Policies and encouraged educators, parents, and students to collaborate on adopting approaches to guide cell phone usage.

Legislators prioritize further property tax relief as home values surge

Following November’s elections, which expanded Republicans’ supermajority in the Kansas Legislature, policymakers will again focus on property tax relief. Last year, the Legislature raised the exemption on property values subject to the statewide mill levy from $40,000 to $75,000, reducing the taxable portion of many properties.

With home values surging over the past four years, Kansas is not alone in pursuing homeowner tax relief. However, reducing property taxes can have significant implications for school funding. Property taxes are a vital revenue source for Kansas school districts, and reducing this revenue would increase reliance on state funding, which currently covers 66% of all K-12 education costs.

This reliance comes with tradeoffs. State funding helps mitigate disparities between property-rich and property-poor districts by basing funding on student enrollment. However, it is more vulnerable to economic downturns that impact sales and income tax revenues. In contrast, property taxes are a more stable revenue source but can exacerbate district funding disparities.

This dynamic, often called the “school funding dilemma,” requires legislators to balance the benefits of tax relief with the need to fund education adequately.

Aligned's take: We will closely monitor property tax relief proposals and their potential impacts on Kansas’s school finance system.

In other news

• Legislators and State Board convene school funding task force
• Kansas Board votes against supporting free school lunches
• Kansas' smallest school district to dissolve after vote and state board approval
• Legislative leadership unchanged; new committee chairs named
• Ann Mah criticizes potential voucher programs before departure

Last week, we presented our 2025 policy priorities to the Aligned Advisory Boards in St. Louis and Kansas City. 

The St. Louis Board met at Bartolino’s Osteria, where we discussed open enrollment policies in depth and sampled delicious red and white Italian wines. The Kansas City Board toured the J. Rieger & Co. distillery, sampled whiskeys, and enjoyed sharing Aligned’s history with first-time attendees. 

We have some exciting changes to our advisory board program coming for 2025. If you want to learn more about how to serve on an Aligned Advisory Board, please get in touch with Jim Malle.

Upcoming Events at Aligned

Lead the Charge for Education Innovation in Kansas City

Join KC community leaders and educators for a roundtable discussion on addressing critical challenges in education. We will reflect on the state of education in our region, examine upcoming legislative priorities in Missouri and Kansas, and strategize actionable solutions to address the challenges facing our schools.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Kansas City Crossroads District

RSVPs are required for participation. To secure your spot, email us at info@wearealigned.org, and watch your inbox for additional event details.

Space is filling up for the Certificate in Education Finance course

Aligned and Georgetown University have partnered to bring the Edumonics Certificate in Education Finance course to the Kansas City area next June.

The course will cover:

• 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 to learn about sponsorship opportunities.

Aligned is delighted to announce that Claudia Fury-Aguirre has joined our team and will serve as Manager of Policy and Outreach for the Kansas team.

Claudia brings extensive experience in legislative affairs, grassroots advocacy, and campaign management. She previously served as a legislative staffer for the Kansas House Majority Leader, where she managed caucus and committee meetings, conducted legislative research, and provided regular updates to House members.

Claudia earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a 4.0 GPA from Washburn University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public Finance at Wichita State University. She has also completed leadership training through the Eisenhower Leadership Series and the Leadership Institute’s Campaign Leadership College.

The Missouri General Assembly and the Kansas State Legislature will be back in action next month, as will our weekly legislative updates.

Please be sure to look for our reports in your inbox every Friday afternoon from January 10th through the end of May. This will be our 14th year advocating for students in the Show-Me and Sunflower states, and we've never been more excited or ready to return to Capitol hallways.

In the meantime, we will take the coming days for a brief respite to spend time with our families and enjoy the holiday season's glad tidings.

We wish you all much joy and love!

Torree Pederson

President

Aligned

Torree@WeAreAligned.org

(913) 484-4202

Linda Rallo

Vice President

Aligned

Linda@WeAreAligned.org

(314) 330-8442

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.