Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has officially signed the state’s $50.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026, including $15.4 billion in general revenue spending. While the budget includes significant new investments in child care and education, Governor Kehoe also issued $300 million in line-item...

Children who aren’t reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, yet today, about one-third of Kansas students still read below grade level. With Kansas poised to add 54,000 new jobs by 2030, 80% of which will require education beyond high school...

On Friday, July 4, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law, ushering in a sweeping set of tax and fiscal changes with long-term implications for the federal budget, families, and state policy alike. One of the most closely watched provisions for us at Aligned was the...

As Congress negotiates the next major federal tax package, the future of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is once again up for debate. With key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire at the end of 2025, lawmakers face important decisions about whether to preserve, expand, or...

During the first few meetings of the Kansas Education Funding Task Force, both policymakers and district leaders have raised a familiar question: how much money are school districts keeping in reserve — and why? It’s a fair question, with both practical and political implications. On one hand...

As Kansas and Missouri celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, educators across both states and the nation are sounding the same alarm: appreciation is welcome, but action is essential. Recent survey data show a profession under strain, with many teachers questioning whether they can or should continue...