JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill to expand private school scholarships statewide, an effort made possible by extensive compromises including a commitment to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on public schools.
The GOP-led House voted with a bare-minimum margin of 82-69 to send the measure to Republican Gov. Mike Parson. If signed, it would offer up to $6,375 per child for expenses including tuition, textbooks, tutoring, transportation, extracurriculars and summer school.
The bill’s passage is a victory for advocates who have struggled for years to expand access to charter schools, virtual schools and private schools in Missouri. Worries about taking away resources from traditional kindergarten-12th grade public schools have been bipartisan.
The heart of the legislation is the expansion of Missouri Empowerment Scholarships Accounts, which low-income families can draw from. The money will come from private donors, who in return get tax credits.
Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi
Moon landing: Odysseus marks first US landing in over 50 years
Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates? With a robust US economy, it might not need to
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are OVERPAID at $75k
In Russia's Far East, a new heavy
Should you itemize or take a standard deduction on your tax return? Here's what to know
Review: 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' clears a low bar
Packers could still look to upgrade secondary in NFL draft even after adding Xavier McKinney
Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates? With a robust US economy, it might not need to