Missouri Education Savings Account: Customization, Choice, Competition, College

Education | April 22, 2015

By James V. Shuls | Read Time 1 min

If adopted, the current ESA program outlined in SB 531 should save taxpayers money. Eligible families would receive 90 percent of the state adequacy target in the form of an ESA. Currently, the state adequacy target should be at $6,716, but it has been frozen at $6,131 due to the current underfunding of the foundation formula. Assuming the lower figure is used, students eligible for an ESA would receive roughly $5,500. This is a fraction of the cost used to educate students with special needs.

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About the Author

James V. Shuls

James V. Shuls is an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri St. Louis. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Phi Delta Kappan, Social Science Quarterly, Education Week, The Rural Educator, Educational Policy, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He earned his Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas. He holds a bachelors degree from Missouri Southern State University and a masters degree from Missouri State University, both in elementary education. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, James taught first grade and fifth grade in southwest Missouri.

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