August 28, 2026
August 28 Issue of the Week: They Are Wrecking Education on Purpose
Summary
It’s back-to-school time in District 33. Anyone who has spent even a little time looking at public education knows it is at the center of our community and economy, and truly valued by most everyone here.
So why would the political party that touts family values dramatically cut funding and create bureaucratic red tape for our public schools? Why would the party that claims to care about the economy undermine an industry that provides the backbone for our district and helps ensure a strong economic future?
We live in the “Show Me State,” and once again the chaotic leadership in the State House says one thing but does another. So let me show you what they are doing, not what they are saying:
The Basics: How State Leadership Causes Chaos and Guts Public Education
Public school funding in Missouri is set through an annual Foundation Formula from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which currently sets the State Adequacy Target (SAT) at $7,145 per pupil. It is based on a defined process for determining adequate funding.
Yet in recent years, the Missouri Legislature has prioritized lowering taxes while failing to keep its commitments to public schools. Leadership still claims it is fully funding education.
How?
By not acknowledging the Foundation Formula they are supposed to use to establish funding minimums.
At the beginning of each session, leadership sets lower targets based on projected state revenue. As revenues fall, so does their target for education. Funding becomes based on what they choose to spend, rather than what the adequacy formula says schools need.
Leadership has also denied inflation-adjusted increases requested by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. For 2025-26, they budgeted $6,900 per student instead of the $7,145 target, $245 less per student and a $190 million shortfall statewide. This year, the budget is only $6,748 per student, $397 below the formula.
Leadership then calls that “fully funded” because it funded its own lower budget, while dismissing the State Adequacy Target as “just a suggestion.” That’s like saying using nails instead of glue to build a house is just a suggestion.
This is why I decided to run for State Representative. The lying has to stop.
Want the kicker?
In recent years, current leadership, including my opponent, has also set aside $60 million for school vouchers, much of it going to private religious schools in the St. Louis area. It’s called the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program.
Public education transportation funding was also shorted $32.4 million statewide, before accounting for inflation in fuel costs.
But this isn’t only about educating students or building our future. It is also about the economy of our district right now.
Key 33 Details – Show Me 33
Many people don’t realize that across our district, from Greenwood and Blue Springs to Lone Jack, Lee’s Summit and even Grain Valley, public schools are among the largest employers, and often the largest employer.
We talk frequently about what education cuts mean for students and families. We don’t talk enough about what they mean for our local economy.
Continued cuts could bring:
• Significant losses of education and education-adjacent jobs that may not be absorbed elsewhere.
• Families leaving, or choosing not to move here, if nearby Kansas schools become a better alternative.
• Declining population and tax revenue, making it harder to support roads, first responders, senior services and other public needs.
• Weaker public services ultimately making our communities less attractive to private-sector investment.
The simple truth is that when we support public schools, our communities, property values and economies grow. When we don’t, they suffer.
Whether you have kids in school or not, where would you want to live?
A Better Path Forward & Conclusion
We don’t just need strong public schools to create a strong future. We need them to create strong communities and a strong economy NOW.
Our cities may be diverse, but one common denominator runs throughout District 33: public education is critical to the economy of each.
Supporting public education isn’t some altruistic “future dream.” It is a necessity for our local economy and the strength and safety of our communities.
Which brings us back to the original question: Why would a political party that claims to support family values and strong economies actively weaken an institution so important to both? I think the answer is that they really don’t have a commitment to support either.
But I do. And when I find Democrats, Republicans or independents who also support public education, I will work with them to keep our public schools at the top of the agenda while treating taxpayer dollars with the respect they deserve.
It’s good for the 33rd District, and it’s good for Missouri.