To the editor:
Recently, Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri legislature shifted $50 million dollars from our state general fund into the MOScholars Voucher Program. Next year they want $60 million and that request will keep climbing. Since its inception, the program has awarded 6,400 vouchers, with almost all of it going to fund private school tuition for students who are already attending those private schools. Using tax dollars for private school vouchers means fewer dollars are going to our public schools and the students they serve and, like everything else, the cost of public education continues to rise.
Public school districts across our state consistently meet the needs of very diverse student populations, including students with challenging academic, social-emotional, physical and developmental needs which require specialized teacher training and extensive resources; federal and state law charge public education with ensuring all students receive a free and appropriate education, one that prepares every student for a successful life beyond the classroom. Private schools have the freedom to decide which students they enroll, which typically results in “fewer;” fewer students with disabilities, fewer students who are at risk, fewer students who are living at or below poverty line and fewer students in each classroom. If private schools are going to receive taxpayer dollars, then their requirements should be the same as public schools; they need to accept all students regardless of the challenges with which they come.
Free public education is far from perfect, but it is a right exercised by over 90% of the children across Missouri. Unfortunately, providing that education is not free, so it is imperative to everyone that we keep our tax dollars in our public schools.
Editor’s note: This letter was sent on March 2; since then, the House Budget Committee approved increasing the appropriation for MOScholars school vouchers from $50 million to $60 million for the 2026-27 school year.
Rosina Palmer
Green Park
