When considering the sheer number of bills, how students pay for college in Missouri is one of the most popular higher education topics.
Scholarships, guns, teaching about racism: Higher education bills to watch
Posted inCivic Engagement
‘No replacement for live performing arts’: Kansas City arts nonprofits look ahead despite pandemic challenges
The pandemic was especially hard on Kansas City’s creative community, which operates on lean resources even in the best of times. When performances were canceled and exhibits shut down, many artists turned to arts nonprofits for guidance and even survival. Meanwhile, those nonprofits worried about their own sustainability. One such nonprofit is the Charlotte Street […]
Posted inEducation
How you can snag a spot for your student at one of Wichita’s magnet schools
Students are wrapping up the fall semester at Wichita USD 259, but enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is already starting for the district’s 24 magnet schools. The district’s magnet program offers schools that focus on subjects like science, leadership and performing arts, with some specializing even further into fields like aerospace engineering and health […]
Posted inLocal Government
KCMO auditor looking into city board and commission conflicts of interest
Are all of Kansas City’s board and commission members filling out required conflict of interest forms? Do those forms include the necessary questions to determine whether a conflict exists? The Kansas City, Missouri, auditor’s office is now examining those questions in a new audit that’s a follow-up to a 2019 inquiry that found multiple VisitKC […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘It hasn’t gotten the focus and attention it should’: How Sedgwick County redistricting will impact Hispanic residents
Araceli Amador is concerned about Sedgwick County’s redistricting process. She’s worried that her community, largely made up of Spanish speakers in southwest Wichita, has not been sufficiently included in the county’s redistricting efforts. The process began in the fall and concludes with a vote on the final maps Wednesday. The result will be new boundaries […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘Survey was not scientific by any means’: KCPD relies on officers self-reporting COVID-19 vaccination status
No one knows how many Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. Not the city, which relies on officers to interact with the public when responding to calls, or the department itself, which doesn’t require officers to get vaccinated. In a Tuesday meeting of the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee, KCPD […]
Posted inEducation
Jackpot! Lotteries for KCPS signature schools and local charter schools are open now
Families within Kansas City Public Schools district boundaries can attend KCPS signature schools or charter schools in addition to neighborhood schools.
Posted inEconomics
Kansas City families prepare for the end of the expanded federal child tax credits
Since 1997, most working families have been eligible for an income tax credit based on the number of children in a household. This year, millions of families across the U.S. benefited even more from the federal program.
Posted inWatchdog
A child in crisis died in juvenile custody. How can Wichita prevent it from happening again?
Update: Sedgwick County corrections employees involved in the death of Cedric “C.J.” Lofton won’t face criminal charges, District Attorney Marc Bennett said during a press conference on Jan. 18, 2022. Lofton, 17, died after becoming unresponsive as Department of Corrections staff restrained him face-down for over 30 minutes. An autopsy ruled Lofton’s death a homicide. […]
Posted inEducation
A KU Wichita Pediatrics pilot program brings health care into schools, and it’s keeping students in class
Editor’s note: We updated this story on Dec. 8 to clarify that Krista Weaver is an advanced practice registered nurse. On Dec. 9, the story was updated to clarify that KU Wichita Pediatrics operates the school-based clinics. There’s no telling who or what Krista Weaver will see every day in her classroom-turned-clinic in Haysville USD […]