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JC/DC ACTION ALERT: Take Action: Tell Your Representative to OPPOSE HB1989 Open Enrollment

Missouri PTA advocates for all children and for the improvement of public education. It believes that any changes in school structure or funding should be measured by the likely outcomes for all children in accord with the obligation to prepare all children to become effective, productive adult citizens.

The focus should be on supporting and improving our schools and all populations in each of our communities rather than tearing them apart. Each community is unique and to say that open enrollment would benefit all students is misleading and grossly misunderstood. However, the impact will be felt by all due to the financial hardship it will cause for districts.
Missouri PTA advocates are called upon to ensure your Representative understands that you are paying attention and that this issue is important to you!

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL and urge your Senator to oppose the recently debated and passed HB 1989.

MOPTA Advocates are invited to utilize the letter below to guide your calls, emails, and social media contact with your lawmaker(s).

Dear Representative,

Open enrollment has the potential to impact the financial resources of the school districts that gain students and those that lose students. Missouri does not provide the same level of funding for any two school districts and local tax rates vary greatly among school districts. As students move among Missouri school districts, open enrollment could create financial chaos.

Less money in classrooms is a concern for me. HB 1989 will pit public schools against one another. School districts will compete for students and large sums of money that should be utilized for the education of children will instead be used for marketing and other recruitment materials. Schools will also be forced to “one up” one another for the best facilities and best sports programs which will further deplete money going into the classroom.

Loss of Community Support is another concern. If HB 1989 is passed, school districts should expect less community support and involvement. If individuals are living within their resident district but sending their children to a non-resident district, those individuals will be less likely to support ballot measures to increase their taxes in the resident districts.

The legislation allows districts to deny students based on special education status. This is outlandish and as this text stands, appears to permit school districts to discriminate against special needs children.

Open Enrollment changes the feel of the community/neighborhood school. Already crowded schools may become even more crowded and smaller urban and rural schools may face consolidation. NO schools win with this legislation!!

Sincerely,

Your Name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your US Representative? Click Here and enter your street address or zip code.


JC/DC ACTION ALERT: Take Action: Tell Your Representative to OPPOSE proposed cuts to Essential Education Programs for Students

A small group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed significant funding cuts that threaten the quality of education for 49.9 million children across the country, including children here in Missouri.

The FY2024 Labor-HHS-Education bill proposes cuts of $22.1 billion in education funding-28% of vital educational programs.  The bill eliminates the Statewide Family Engagement Centers Program, which would harm children and families nationwide who need these vital family engagement opportunities and services.  The bill also reduces Title 1 funding by 80 percent, significantly risking the quality of education children receive at Title 1 schools.

These funding losses will not only negatively impact children and families across the nation for years to come but will have significant impact now for a nation still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and whose children need more academic support now than ever.

Missouri PTA advocates are called upon to ensure your US Representative  understands that you are paying attention and that this issue is important to you!

MOPTA Advocates are invited to utilize the letter below to guide your calls, emails, and social media contact with your lawmaker(s).

Dear Representative,

As your constituent and a parent/guardian, I urge you to understand that the long-term success of our nation depends on quality federal investments in our education system and I ask that you OPPOSE the proposed FY2024 Labor-HHS Education Bill.

The FY2024 Labor-HHS-Education bill as currently written has the potential to cause significant harm to children & families throughout the nation. If passed, this legislation would: 

       • Cut $22.1 billion of education funding overall – a devastating 28% of vital educational programs that serve children and families nationwide; 

      • Reduce funding for Title I by 80 percent, significantly risking the quality of education children receive at these schools in low-income communities; 

      • Eliminate the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) Program, an historically bipartisan program reimagined and launched following the passage of 2015 ESSA that provides much-needed technical assistance and partnership development to states and school districts to foster meaningful engagement with families; and 

      • Freeze funding for critical programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title IV-A, rendering some communities unable to serve all students with disabilities and provide a well-rounded education. 

 As the nation’s oldest and largest child advocacy association, we have long-advocated to ensure children have access to adequately funded public schools that improve their overall well-being and allow students to reach their full potential. Therefore, we were deeply disheartened to see the House propose a bill that cuts $22.1 billion of education funding. This devastating 28% cut will negatively impact learning across the country and further exacerbate an already uphill battle our nation’s students and families are facing in recovering academically from the many opportunities for learning lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only will these funding losses have a detrimental impact on the quality of education that children and families receive for potentially years to come, but it comes at a time when many of our nation’s children are already in crisis, academically and mentally, and our schools are more in need of federal funding than ever before. On average, reading scores have declined four points, and math has fallen nine points, bringing them to the lowest levels in decades. Proposing a 28% budget cut to education funding while K-12 educational scores are at the lowest levels in decades only serves to devastate our nation’s children, families, and their futures. Now is not the time to cut funding for vital K-12 programs that serve our children and families in every state. Now is the time for robust and effective investments, especially in key family engagement programs and practices to ensure student success.

As your constituent, I call upon you to OPPOSE the proposed FY2024 House Labor-HHS-Education bill and prioritize the quality of education and well-being of our nation’s children and families.

Sincerely,

Your Name and PTA

Not sure how to contact your US Representative? Click Here and enter your street address or zip code.

Virginia Pennington

Advocacy Chair
Missouri PTA

[email protected]