Make Missouri Education Great

Posted on by James V. Shuls

President-Elect Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to close the U.S. Department of Education and return education back to the states. To many on the right, this has been a longstanding goal. Yet here in Missouri, there is a slight problem with this strategy. Moving money and authority from Washington, D.C. to Jefferson City means placing more authority in the hands of the commissioner of education, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the state board of education, all of which have terrible track records.

There is hope. Several members of Missouri’s state board of education are serving on expired terms. Missouri’s governor-elect has an opportunity to reshape the state board of education. By appointing new members who are committed to bold, innovative policies, the governor can break the cycle of dysfunction that has plagued the board and department. (Does anyone recall the disaster called Common Core or the Top 10 by 2020 initiative?) These appointments can bring a renewed focus on empowering families, fostering school choice, and improving student outcomes across the state.

Missouri has long struggled with underperforming schools and bureaucratic inefficiency. A revamped board with a clear vision and a commitment to reform could transform the educational landscape. For instance, new appointees could push for greater autonomy for local school districts, promote policies that expand educational options for families, and ensure that resources are directed where they are most needed—toward helping students succeed.

If President-Elect Trump follows through on his pledge to return education to the states, Missouri must be ready to rise to the occasion. This begins with a strong, forward-thinking state board of education. It is time to seize this moment of opportunity, embrace meaningful reform, and truly make Missouri education great.

The ball is in the governor-elect’s court. Missouri’s future—and the future of its children—depends on what happens next.

The governor-elect is currently looking for qualified individuals to serve on the state board of education. If you are interested in serving, notify the governor-elect of your interest by completing the form here.

Homeschooling Trends in Missouri with Collin Hitt

Posted on by Susan Pendergrass

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Dr. Collin Hitt, Executive Director of the SLU PRiME Center and co-author of the paper “Taking Attendance: Estimating Homeschooling Populations in States Without Official Homeschool Data—A Pilot Analysis in Missouri”.

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Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Missouri’s (Hopefully Successful) DMV Makeover

Posted on by Avery Frank

When I hear the term driver’s license, I either think of Olivia Rodrigo’s breakout song or the prospect of waiting in line for a near century, only to realize I forgot one of the many required documents. Either way, tears are flowing. But there is hope for improvement. Missouri is attempting to transform those tearful DMV visits into a smoother experience, as in mid-November the first phase of a new, “modernized” system was rolled out.

There are a few key features in this first phase:

  • Adults 21–49 will be able to renew their licenses online every other renewal period.
  • If you lose your driver’s license, you can go online and get a new one every other time.
  • No need for new drivers to bring a physical copy of a Missouri State Highway Patrol driver test to the DMV.
  • New computers, scanners, and customer tablets will be added.
  • 175 new workstations at 275 license offices will help reduce wait times.
  • 10% of administrative fees will continue to fund technology upgrades until a “modernized, integrated system for vehicle titling and registration, liens on vehicles (dealing with loaned vehicles), driver’s licenses, and identification cards” is established.

The second phase, which is slated for July 2026, will focus on reform in the taxing and titling process. After these two phases, only one percent of administrative fees will be remitted to maintain the new system. This funding mechanism has similarities to a user fee, which is a good approach to funding services. However, it is not a true user fee, as it is possible to buy a vehicle without directly benefiting from the new DMV services.

In the first days of the system, there were long delays with an influx of customers and workers getting acquainted with the new system. This is not a great sign, and we should continue to monitor the situation to see if wait times improve.

As of now, the price tag for this new system is $63 million, but the entire system upgrade (both phase 1 and phase 2) as a whole could cost more than $100 million. In Nevada, similar upgrades were slated to cost around $125 million, but may balloon to potentially over $400 million. Hopefully, prices will not skyrocket and the new system will provide an efficient system for Missourians. In the meantime, Missourians should keep an eye on this process to ensure that our government makes wise use of our tax dollars and keeps a tight rein on the project to avoid wasteful spending.

Let’s Grow Missouri, Literally

Posted on by David Stokes

We often talk about growing Missouri in abstract ways. We want to grow the economy, grow the tax base, grow the number of gigantic waterfalls. But I think we should try to grow Missouri in a more literal way by simply taking land and people from Illinois.

There is a part of Illinois that may actually be interested. On election day, voters in seven Illinois counties approved a referendum (non-binding, obviously) on seceding from Illinois and creating a new state without Chicago. This makes a total of 33 counties that have passed this Illinois Separation Referendum, as it is called. Twenty seven of these counties either border Missouri or can be connected to Missouri by other counties that have also passed the referendum. Five more counties could connect to Missouri if just two more counties pass it, too. (One county, Iroquois County in northeast Illinois, is going to have to look toward Indiana.)

While the referendum calls for leaving the current state of Illinois to create a new state, like the West Virginia model that I assume they are following, I think Missouri needs to get aggressive here. In the same way that President Trump could embrace destiny by acquiring Greenland, I think Governor-elect Kehoe should take that approach as well.

Territorial switches between states are rare, with Maine and West Virginia being the two most famous examples. North and South Carolina made a very minor land exchange as recently as 2017. The last time Missouri made a territory change was 1950, when Missouri and Kansas exchanged some land after flooding along the Missouri River border. The primary expansion of Missouri territory after statehood was the Platte Purchase, which added our six northwest counties to the state. However, that land was ceded from unorganized territory, not another state.

So, let’s get this done, Missouri! Let’s grow our state’s territory and population the old-fashioned way—by taking it from someone else! (Though we’ll do it peacefully, of course.)

Missouri’s Mean Streets

Posted on by Patrick Tuohey

Traffic fatalities in both Kansas City and St. Louis have seen significant increases, drawing concern from local leaders and community members alike. Both cities are known for high homicide rates, but traffic deaths are also worrying. It’s a reminder that when cities fail to deliver public services, they fail in many ways.

Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson recently posted, “On a beautiful Saturday, my 16 and 10 year old ride the bus to the KC Wheel and my only worry and constant reminder is “stay on the sidewalk, be careful walking!”

In Kansas City, fatalities spiked significantly during the pandemic and have remained high, with 103 deaths recorded in 2021. This was the highest total in over three decades, marking a substantial increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. While the numbers decreased to 90 fatalities in 2022, they climbed again to 102 in 2023, indicating persistent safety challenges on the city’s streets. The city has been trying to reduce fatalities through its Vision Zero program, a safety initiative launched in 2020 and intended to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030. However, the program has faced challenges due to limited funding and political support.

St. Louis has faced similar issues, with pedestrian fatalities particularly concerning. In 2021, the city and county combined saw 178 traffic-related deaths, and in 2022, the figure slightly decreased to 173. The City of St. Louis recorded 78 fatalities in 2022, one of the highest annual totals, reflecting a concerning trend. Pedestrian deaths in St. Louis County, in particular, have increased dramatically over the last decade, with areas on high-speed corridors responsible for a significant portion of these fatalities. Mayor Tishaura Jones recently posted, “Parents are afraid to let their children play outside or walk or bike to school because they would have to navigate roads built for big, motorized vehicles.”

It’s easy to argue that each city’s homicide rate takes precedent over traffic safety. Advocates for reform doubtlessly believe that efforts to reduce traffic deaths are underfunded—and they may have a point. Streets probably could be better designed; pedestrian infrastructure could be improved.

The job of running a city is difficult, there are so many priorities to balance. Public safety needs to be a priority, and that extends beyond homicide rates. I suspect however, that the initial solutions are the same: swift and sure enforcement of existing law.

St. Louis Making the Right Moves on Regulation

Posted on by Patrick Tuohey

St. Louis is taking steps to roll back the bureaucratic barriers that have long stifled economic growth. With the introduction of ordinance 71819 earlier this year, the city is making it easier for small businesses—especially those in underserved areas—to thrive by streamlining the liquor licensing process and cutting unnecessary red tape. My colleague Grace Hearne wrote recently about another effort in The Lou to relax regulation on barber shops.

These moves are a win for local entrepreneurs and a sign that St. Louis is serious about economic development through deregulation.

For too long, starting a bar or restaurant in the city meant navigating a confusing maze of fees, delays, and arbitrary requirements. The plat petition, for instance, required business owners to collect signatures from nearby property owners before getting a liquor license. This often turned into a nightmare, particularly for small businesses in lower-income neighborhoods, where support can be harder to gather. Ordinance 71819 eliminated this burdensome step, replacing it with a more straightforward hearing process. This, along with provisions allowing for easier license transfers and extending opportunities to people with criminal histories, could be a game-changer for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Yes, there is a lot more St. Louis must do to recapture its economic vibrancy, But leaders deserve credit for listening to the community, acknowledging that heavy-handed regulations do more harm than good, and taking action.

Show-Me Institute writers have long argued that cutting red tape is essential for fostering a vibrant local economy. St. Louis, with its layers of outdated regulations, has been a case study in how excessive government interference can choke off innovation and growth. By reducing these barriers, the city is empowering local residents to build businesses that create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods.

The Fiscal Effects of School Choice with Marty Lueken

Posted on by Susan Pendergrass

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Martin F. Lueken, director of the Fiscal Research and Education Center at EdChoice, about the findings of his report Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America through FY 2022.

Marty shares insights into how school choice programs have financially impacted state and local budgets across the United States. He explains the methods used to estimate both short- and long-run savings from these programs and discusses the disparities in per-student funding between public and choice program students. Lueken also addresses the funding context and long-term fiscal implications of choice programs for K–12 education systems, shedding light on common misconceptions and more.

Read the full report here.

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Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

A Fork in the Road in Kirkwood

Posted on by David Stokes

On November 5, Kirkwood residents will vote on Proposition T, which, if passed, will create a citywide transportation development district (TDD). While Kirkwood officials deserve credit for several aspects of this proposal, sales taxes are nonetheless a questionable method of funding transportation needs.

TDDs are often abused by private developers as a means to expand corporate welfare under the pretext of “infrastructure improvements.” Most TDDs are created simply by the signatures of the property owners (often just one developer) who want to establish them. The TDDs are then governed by a board (affiliated with the property owner) that treats the tax funds as private money rather than public tax dollars. Missouri state auditors have consistently documented problems with TDDs for the past two decades.

Kirkwood city leaders deserve credit for putting this TDD to a vote of the entire city. They also made the right choice by ensuring that city leaders will have primary control of the future funds. Kirkwood residents can be confident that the taxes raised would be properly accounted for and spent on public needs, not private wants.

The main argument against this TDD is that sales taxes are not, generally speaking, the preferred way to fund transportation projects. Kirkwood should consider a local gas tax (which is allowed, yet admittedly rare in Missouri) before it commits to a sales tax for its roads. And, while nobody wants to hear it, property taxes are a better way to fund sidewalks in a community. General sales taxes are a way to push local costs onto visitors instead of having local people pay for the public services in their own neighborhoods.

Kirkwood voters face a tough decision tomorrow, but whatever the result of the vote, residents will benefit because the most harmful aspects of TDDs have been properly addressed by the city.

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