The decision came after pushback from New Stanley families who didn’t want the school to close.
Maria Benevento
Maria Benevento is The Beacon’s education reporter. She joined The Beacon as a Report for America corps member. In addition to her work at The Beacon, she’s reported for the National Catholic Reporter, Columbia Missourian and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her education reporting began in 2017, and she became a full-time Kansas City education reporter with The Beacon in mid-2021. She graduated from Creighton University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in theology and American studies. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a master's degree in journalism. She’s lived in Missouri most of her life and first moved to Kansas City in 2017.
Posted inEducation
‘We don’t want to break up the community’: Why KCK families want to keep New Stanley school open
The proposed school closure is part of a plan that would adjust attendance boundaries and feeder patterns around the district. Families are pushing back.
Posted inEducation
KC-area schools get mixed scores in state’s performance rankings. See how your district did.
While many districts, including Hickman Mills, saw improvements in their scores, some public and charter schools in the Kansas City area fell short of state targets.
Posted inElections
Voters approve four-day school week in Independence, pick school board members in Kansas
Here’s who Kansas City-area voters picked for school and community college boards on Nov. 4, 2025.
Posted inElections
Vacunas, impuestos y pronombres: Así piensan los candidatos a la junta escolar de Kansas City, Kansas, en 2025
La mitad de los candidatos del distrito escolar de KCKPS coincidieron en que el financiamiento del distrito está cargando demasiado a los contribuyentes.
Posted inEducation
Raytown school district decides fate of Raytown Central Middle
The district said it chose the less disruptive plan after receiving public feedback.
Posted inElections
Meet your 2025 Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees candidates
Eight candidates are vying for just four spots. They explained their priorities for the college and their assessment of how it is serving the community.
Posted inElections
These KCKCC Board of Trustees candidates want your vote in 2025
Seven candidates are running for four positions on the KCKCC board Nov. 4. We asked about their priorities for the college.
Posted inElections
Six candidates compete for three spots on the Spring Hill school board
We researched the six candidates who are competing for three open spots on the Spring Hill school board.
Posted inElections
Meet the 2025 candidates for the Olathe school board
Three current board members are running for another term. One has an opponent who will appear on the ballot, but he told The Beacon he had decided to drop out of the race.