Education

Missouri elementary and secondary schools will now have more flexibility from the federal No Child Left Behind requirements. More control is back in the hands of the state after the US Department of Education announced Missouri as one of five states granted a waiver Friday.

Missouri is among five additional states being granted waivers from the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law. A total of twenty-four states now have been approved for waivers, allowing flexibility in implementing the controversial law.

The University of Missouri is standing behind its cost-cutting decision to shutter the school's academic press.

Professors, graduate students and other supporters of the soon-to-be-closed University of Missouri Press attended Tuesday’s UM Board of Curators meeting.

David Luther is the assistant superintendent with the district. He says the school will offer seven different academies – something he refers to as “seven schools within a school.” These will align with a student’s possible career path, but are also fairly broad in nature.

Leaders in the Jefferson City Public School District have drawn up a statement of seven beliefs that they think will better define Jefferson City Public Schools and drive student success. David Luther is the Assistant Superintendent with the school district. He was also at the retreat last week where leaders worked on the list.

“The discussion was very good – it was pretty intense," Luther said.

Leaders began with about 20 statements. Luther says their goal was to boil down the ideas to eliminate redundancy.

Governor Jay Nixon’s withholdings announced Friday are expected to be felt by Missouri’s higher-education institutions. Nixon announced the removal of $9 million from the budgets of Missouri’s public colleges and universities, effective July 1st. It’s part of $15 million withheld from a budget Nixon says is $50 million out of balance.