Weekly Update
This Week’s Highlights:
Top story — Kansas’ bell-to-bell cell phone ban has cleared both chambers of the Legislature and now sits on Governor Laura Kelly’s desk, putting the state one signature away from adopting one of the strongest school-day device restrictions in the country.
Missouri — Lawmakers advance major early literacy reforms in both chambers, with the House passing HB 2872 and the Senate Education Committee advancing SB 1442 as the state continues moving toward structured literacy instruction and earlier intervention for struggling readers.
Kansas — The State Board of Education votes to pursue a federal innovative assessment pilot that would spread testing across the school year and return results to educators faster, while lawmakers also debate revisions to the state’s employer child care tax credit.
Feature — A new look at Missouri’s MOScholars program highlights how individuals and businesses can turn tax credits into scholarships that expand educational opportunities for students across the state.