Ideas include posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, history lessons that frame religion in a positive light and allowing students to leave school for religious education.
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
Missouri ‘school choice’ bills to watch in 2026
Some Missouri lawmakers want to expand charter schools to more areas of the state, make it easier to switch public schools and help families afford private schools. Others want to roll back or regulate those options.
Posted inEducation
How a charter school board reacted when employees asked it to oust the executive director
Current and former employees said they’re frustrated with the level of response from the board after they raised serious concerns about KIPP Kansas City leadership.
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This Kansas City charter school lost nearly 20% of its students in one year amid high staff turnover
KIPP Kansas City employees say staff turnover and leadership changes have contributed to issues such as incorrect pay, shrinking enrollment and disrupted education.
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A ‘revolving door’: Kansas City charter school sees extreme staff turnover
Only about 40% of the employees KIPP Kansas City reported to the state last school year show up on its employee list this year. Leaders say not everyone is on board with necessary change.
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Despite higher state scores, Hickman Mills schools fall short of full accreditation this year
The state board also voted to receive more reporting on lower-performing districts such as Center and Grandview in the Kansas City area.
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Missouri higher education bills to watch in 2026
Other proposals include adding support for homeless and foster youth, giving student journalists freedom of the press and addressing how immigration status and higher education intersect.
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New Stanley school to remain open under modified plan
The decision came after pushback from New Stanley families who didn’t want the school to close.
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‘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.
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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.