Navigating Educational Options: A guide for Missouri parents
In today’s K-12 education landscape, many parents are not familiar with the existing options. This guide aims to enlighten Missouri parents about the various education alternatives, from traditional public schools to innovative programs empowering them to make informed decisions about their children’s education.
Understanding the Landscape:
Traditional public schools offer a standard curriculum and structure, fostering a sense of community and local connection. Public schools provide a tuition-free education to all students. Attendance is typically based on a family’s address and students are usually assigned a school to attend, whether or not that school meets the needs of the individual child.
Charter public schools are independent from the school district and have the freedom to create unique programs tailored to their community. They cannot selectively admit students and must provide services to special education students. In Missouri, charter public schools currently exist in St. Louis City and Kansas City. One charter public school recently opened in St. Louis County under a provision in the law that permits charter public schools to open in chronically underperforming school districts.
MOCAP – The Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program mission is to offer students equal access to high-quality courses flexibility in scheduling, and interactive learning. A student enrolled in a Missouri public school can choose from 18 different virtual programs for part-time and full-time virtual education. Students can take an entire course from any internet-connected computer, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The student’s school must pay for the virtual school tuition.
MOScholars K-12 Scholarships provide eligible students with a flexible K-12 scholarship that can be used for tuition and other allowable educational expenses. Students can receive scholarships in the amount of $6,375 enabling parents to customize their children’s education paying for private school tuition, virtual schooling, homeschooling materials, therapy, tutoring, transportation and more.
UPDATE: Since the passage of Senate Bill 727 in May of 2024, MOScholars has expanded and improved in several key ways! Read more about SB727 in this blog.
- Geographic restrictions have been lifted. MOScholars is available to all eligible Missouri students regardless of where they live.
- Income guidelines have been raised. When enough funds are available after serving high need students, families whose incomes are up to 300% of the federal free and reduced lunch program income guidlines are now eligible to apply.
- Scholarship amounts have been raised for high need students.
MOScholars eligibility is based on:
- Geography: the program is only offered in certain cities and counties.
- Income: there are income guidelines for participation.
- Students with special needs: students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are also identified as eligible under program guidelines regardless of family income.
Homeschooling is when parents educate their children at home instead of sending them to a school. Parents crafting their own curriculum can provide a unique, personalized learning environment tailored to their child’s pace and learning style.
As parents explore these educational options, they gain a deeper understanding of the choices available. This heightened awareness empowers parents to make informed decisions, ensuring their child receives an education that aligns with their unique learning style and needs. Consider this guide as a resource, designed to bridge the gap in awareness and provide Missouri parents with the knowledge they need to better navigate the K-12 education landscape..
Questions about your options? Reach out to Lisa@ceamteam.org.