Friday, January 31, 2025

Aurora High School teacher/coach arrested for sexual contact with a student


An industrial technology teacher and assistant football coach at Aurora High School was arrested today for allegedly having sexual contact with a student.

Kyle Doss, 32, is being held without bond in the Lawrence County Jail.

The following news release was issued by the Aurora-Marionville Police Department:

The Aurora-Marionville Police Department is actively investigating allegations that a high school teacher and a student engaged in inappropriate sexual contact.








As part of this ongoing investigation, Kyle Doss was taken into custody today following the service of a search warrant. It is important to emphasize that this remains a very active case, and our detectives are working diligently to gather all relevant facts and evidence.

We recognize that this is a matter of significant public concern, particularly for students, parents, and the community as a whole. However, to protect the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.








The Aurora-Marionville Police Department remains committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation. We remind the public that Mr. Doss, like any individual accused of a crime, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

It should be noted that the Aurora school district has cooperated with us fully and quickly from the beginning and has acted with the utmost care and concern for students, staff, and the community.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Aurora-Marionville Police Department at (417)678-5025.


Northpark Mall owner sells Pennsylvania mall


(From CBL Properties)

CBL Properties (NYSE:CBL) today announced that it had closed on the sale of Monroeville Mall and Annex in Monroeville, PA, for $34.0 million, all cash.

“The sale of Monroeville Mall is a great example of the resilient value of well-located real estate in a dynamic market,” commented Stephen D. Lebovitz, CBL’s Chief Executive Officer. 








“This transaction allows us to focus efforts on higher productivity properties, generates significant cash proceeds and further reduces leverage.”

Approximately $7.1 million of the net proceeds was utilized to reduce the outstanding principal of the Company’s outparcel and open-air center loan to $333.0 million, allowing for the release of a collateral parcel as part of the sale.

Grove man sentenced after stealing identity of dead friend

 


(From the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma)

Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Terry Ross Killion, 43, for committing Aggravated Identity Theft. Judge Heil ordered Killion to serve 24 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Heil ordered Killion to pay $116,763 in restitution.

In 2019, Killion obtained the identifiers of his deceased friend, Kelly Davis, and began impersonating him. Killion set up several accounts in Davis’s name and contacted the Social Security Administration, claiming to be Kelly Davis. Killion then fraudulently diverted the payments to himself.






 

Killion will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General – Dallas Kansas City Field Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Crowder College president resigns


(From Crowder College)

The Board of Trustees of Crowder College accepted the resignation of Dr. Katricia Pierson at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees held on Thursday, January 30, 2025. 

During Dr. Pierson’s tenure at Crowder College, she led the school through several significant initiatives, including the development of a new program review process, the establishment of a program learning outcomes, the creation of a strategic plan, the purchase of a campus in Joplin, a long-range facility plan, and the implementation of policies that will keep Crowder College Fiscally sound. Several of these efforts culminated in our successful completion of a comprehensive ten-year Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation review.







Also, at this same meeting, the Board of Trustees named Dr. Chett Daniel the interim President of Crowder College. Dr. Daniel obtained his Doctorate in Community Leadership at Murray State University in 2021. 

Previously, he obtained his Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration at Arkansas State University in 2018, his Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Kansas State University in 2013, his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Missouri Southern State University in 2001, and most importantly, his Associate of Arts in General Studies at Crowder College in 1998. Dr. Daniel is currently the Associate Vice President of Career and Technical Education at Crowder College. He previously served as Associate Vice President of Workforce and Innovations, the interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Director of Institutional Research and Innovation at Crowder College. 








During his tenure at Crowder College, Dr. Daniel has engaged with community and regional stakeholders to identify factors that improve community and economic development in the southwest Missouri region. He currently serves on the Neosho Chamber of Commerce Board, the Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri, the Newton County High-Speed Internet Task Force, and the St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Community Development Advisory Council.

Dr. Daniel will begin his duties as interim President of Crowder College on February 1, 2025.

Dr. Pierson will continue to provide consultative assistance to Crowder College, as needed, until June 30, 2025.

Missouri House speaker says ‘bounty hunter’ immigration bill has little chance of passing


By Jason Hancock

There is no appetite among House Republicans for a bill that would put a bounty on undocumented immigrants, Speaker Jon Patterson (pictured) told reporters Thursday. 

The legislation, which was debated Tuesday in a Missouri Senate committee, would award a $1,000 bounty for tips that result in the arrest of a person present in the United States without authorization. The sponsor of the bill also wants to to authorize bounty hunters to track down people identified in tips.







No one in the House has filed a similar bill, and Patterson said it stands little chance of getting any traction in the chamber even if it does clear the Senate.

“We are committed to making sure that we have legal immigration but that we don’t tolerate illegal immigration,” said Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican. “I have not heard any enthusiasm from our members about doing any sort of bounty. I don’t think that’s something that you’re going to see on this side.”

Patterson said the issue is being handled by the federal government, noting that President Donald Trump recently signed legislation that requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.

It also authorizes states to sue the federal government for “decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.”








Gov. Mike Kehoe signed executive orders on his first day in office earlier this month designed to prepare Missouri to assist the federal government in immigration enforcement.

“A lot of it’s being addressed at the federal level,” Patterson said.

State Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore, a St. Louis Democrat, called the Senate bill authorizing bounty hunters “fear mongering” and “a very bold step towards fascism.”

“Any talk of rounding up and getting your papers,” she said, “especially during the same week as Holocaust Remembrance Day, is incredibly disrespectful, and honestly, should terrify anyone who calls himself a patriot.”

(Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)

Anonymous donor gives $17 million to Joplin Area Catholic Schools,


(From Joplin Area Catholic Schools)

Joplin Area Catholic Schools has established a new endowment- Legacy of Faith Fund- to positively impact Catholic education in Joplin for generations with a $17 million gift from an anonymous donor.

The Legacy of Faith Fund relieves much of the financial burden of full parish tuition for active Catholic families registered at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Joplin; St. Peter the Apostle, Joplin; or Sacred Heart in Webb City that desires to receive a Catholic Education beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.








"A gift of this magnitude, nearly 140 years after the Sisters of Mercy brought Catholic education to Joplin is profound," said The Most Reverend Edward M. Rice, bishop of the Diocese of Springfield- Cape Girardeau. "Legacy of Faith is a fitting title for this fund as we honor the heritage of Catholic faith and Catholic education in Joplin."

The 2025-2026 school year brings additional positive changes for the Joplin Area Catholic School System with St. Ann Catholic School in Carthage, founded in 1962 becoming a school as part of the JACS system. The school continues to educate children PreK- 5th grade. Upon completing 5th grade students attend St. Peter's Middle School in Joplin. As part of the JACS system, active Catholic families at St. Ann's qualify for the Legacy of Faith Fund.

Legacy of Faith Fund is dedicated to strengthening and nurturing faith throughout the Southwest Missouri community. Rooted in the belief that faith provides a lasting foundation for hope and spiritual healing, the fund seeks to inspire positive change in the lives of individuals and families by strengthening family engagement in parish life, and increasing parish financial health through enhanced contributions from supported families.

"Addressing financial issues is secondary," said Bishop Rice. "The primary goal of the Legacy of Faith Fund is to deepen our faith in Jesus Christ in the vibrant parishes and schools in the Joplin area."

To qualify for the Legacy of Faith Fund, children must be up-to-date with age-appropriate sacraments, families must participate in the parish by regularly attending Mass, volunteer at parish ministries, activities, and events, maintain consistent contributions to the parish offertory, and participate in the schools' tuition agreement.







"This generous donation reflects the community's strong support for the mission of Catholic education and the lasting impact it has on students and families," said Jess Sickman, director of Joplin Area Catholic Schools. "We are grateful to our anonymous donors who recognize the value of Catholic education and are committed to making it accessible to all who desire it."

The Legacy of Faith Endowment supplements, does not replace, the partnership between the parishes and JACS, by strengthening our community and our shared responsibility for the mission of Catholic education.

Judge rules kidnapping charge can go forward in case against suspected killer of former Carthage resident


A federal judge today ruled that the government can charge the suspected killer of a former Carthage resident with the kidnapping of their son.

The U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri charged Mahamud Tooxauw Mahamed with three felonies in connection to the July 2019 kidnapping that led to the murder of Jessica McCormack, 25, Noel, a former Carthage resident- kidnapping resulting in death, stalking resulting in death and kidnapping of a minor.

Mahamed's attorney asked that the charges be dismissed because Mahamed was the father of the child he allegedly kidnapped.






In his ruling, Judge David P. Rush said Mahamed's attorneys can feel free to use their arguments at trial, but that it was not a decision to be made at this stage of the process.

McCormack's body was discovered July 29, 2019, in a suitcase alongside MO 59 between Lanagan and Noel.

The charge against Mahamed is described in the probable cause affidavit filed after Mahamed's arrest in 2021.

On July 29, 2019, the McDonald County, Missouri Sheriff's Office received a report of a deceased body that was located off Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Missouri and Noel, Missouri.

The deceased female was located in a partially unclothed state within a suitcase.

A subsequent investigation conducted by the McDonald County Sheriff's Office led to the identification of the deceased as Jessica McCormack.

Through the course of the investigation, MCSO discovered that McCormack's last known address was 229 Main Street, Noel, Missouri. This was confirmed by MCSO through prior law enforcement contact and calls for service.

A review of calls for service reports obtained from the McDonald County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center conducted by the MCSO showed that on July 16, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Noel, Missouri's Marshal's Office made contact with McCormack and her three children at McCormack's residence, 229 Main Street, Noel, Missouri.







McCormack's three children are identified as Jane Doe 1 (four years old), Jane Doe 2 (two years old) and Jane Doe 3 (six months old).

The report indicated that Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, identified as McCormack's paramour, was also at the residence at the time and law enforcement officers checked Mahamed for active warrants while on the scene.

Dispatch also received a call from an individual on July 17, 2019, reporting that he/she had been unable to locate McCormack.

Mahamed is the biological father of the two-year-old female child Jane Doe 2. Jane Doe 1's biological father is Miguel Angel Casillas, who resides in Oklahoma. The biological father of Jane Doe 3 cannot be postively identified at this time.

On August 8, 2019, after making positive identification of McCormack's body, the MCSO issued an Amber Alert for McCormack's three biological children, who could not be located at McCormack's residence.

On August 8, 2019, Jane Does 1, 2 and 3 were subsequently located in Des Moines, Iowa and were taken into state custody.

On August 12, 2019, your affiant spoke with Detective Jake Lancaster with the Des Moines Iowa Police Department. Detective Lancaster informed your affiant that the Jane Does were located at 6011 Creston Avenue, Unit 1, Des Moines, Iowa.

Malyun Koliso, the resident at 6011 Creston Avenue Unit 1, informed Detective Lancaster that on August 5, 2019, Mahamed arrived at her residence with the Jane Does between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.








Koliso knew Mahamed from having previously worked with him at the Tyson plant in Noel, Missouri. Koliso reported that on August 8, 2019, at approxiately 4 p.m. she awoke to the children crying. When she got out of bed, she discovered that Mahamed was not in the residence. Koliso stated that she found a note from Mahamed informing her that he could not care for the children and had left.


On August 12, 2019, your affiant spoke with Dianne Cooper of the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division in McDonald County, Missouri. Cooper informed your affiant that an investigation conducted by the Children's Division indicated that the father of McCormack's oldest child was Casillas.

On August 8, 2019, MCSO Lieutenant Brandon Barrett interviewed Casillas, who confirmed that Jane Doe 1 is his daughter and that Mahamed did not his consent to take Jane Doe outside the state of Missouri, specifically to Iowa.

Your affiant received information from Lt. Barrett that he also interviewed Ibraham Akfeen on August 12, 2019.Affiant reported that he used to live at 229 Main Street with McCormack and the Jane Does.

Akfeen stated he moved out on July 15, 2019, to move to St. Louis, Missouri.

On July 16, 2019 in the early morning hours while he was in St. Louis, Akfeen received a phone call from McCormack asking him to come pick her and Jane Does up from her residence at 229 Main Street, Noel Missouri.

McCormack also texted Akfeen to come pick her up. Akfeen did not do so because he was in St. Louis. This was the last time Akfeen heard from McCormack.

Based upon the investigation, July 16, 2019, was the last time any individual observed McCormack to be alive. Furthermore, the last time the Jane Does were observed to be in the state of Missouri before they were located in Iowa was on July 16, 2019, at 229 Main Street, Noel, Missouri, by Noel Marshal's officers.

Agenda posted for Joplin City Council meeting



 JOPLIN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2025
5th FLOOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
602 S. MAIN ST. JOPLIN MO
6:00 P.M.


1.

Call to Order

Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America
2.

Roll Call

3.

Presentations

1.

VFW Post 5293 Joplin South Awards Presentation

2.

Greater Joplin Toastmasters Club Proclamation

4.

Finalization of Consent Agenda

5.

Reports and Communications

1.

News from the Public Information Office

6.

Citizen Requests and Petitions

1.

Brian Evans Requested to Speak On Fiscal Responsibility and Government Accountability to Taxpaying Citizens and Voters

2.

Mary Price Requested to speak on Fiscal Accountability, Due Diligence & Woodsonia Project

7.

Public Hearings

1.

Public Hearing Procedures

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-250

AN ORDINANCE providing to vacate a utility easement, lying on property described as 3347 S Joplin Ave, City of Joplin, Newton County, Missouri.- Planning and Zoning Commission recommend approval.

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-258

 AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance No. 2022-274, passed by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, August 1, 2022, by removing from District R-1 (Single-Family Residential) and include in District M-2 (Heavy Industrial) property as described below and located at 8125 E 26th St, Jasper County, Missouri. Planning and Zoning Commission recommends approval.

4.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-256

AN ORDINANCE approving the voluntary annexation by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, of property generally located at 18775 Apple Rd, Jasper County, Missouri. Planning and Zoning Commission recommends approval. 

 

 

5.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-257

AN ORDINANCE approving the voluntary annexation by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, of property generally located at NE corner of Prigmore and I-44, Jasper County, Missouri. Staff recommends striking Council Bill 2025-257.

6.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-252

AN ORDINANCE providing to vacate an alley way, lying near property described as 1036 S Range Line Rd, City of Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. Planning and Zoning Commission recommends approval. 

 

8.

Consent Agenda

1.

Minutes of the January 21, 2025, Joplin City Council Meeting

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-104

AN ORDINANCE approving Amendment 3 to Work Authorization no. OLS-OC20-04-P1 with Olsson in the not to exceed amount of Two Hundred Sixty Thousand and 00/100 dollars ($260,000.00) for professional engineering consulting services for Glendale Parallel Interceptor – Lower Reach and authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin; and setting a date when this Ordinance shall become effective.

Documents:
  1. CB2025-104.pdf
3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-400

AN ORDINANCE approving an Agreement between the City of Joplin, Missouri, and Vita Nova Village that pertains to CDBG-CV public service grant funds; authorizing the City Manager to execute same on behalf of the City. 

Documents:
  1. CB2025-400.pdf
4.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-500

 AN ORDINANCE approving a Petition to Establish the Joplin Sports Facility Community Improvement District and creating the Joplin Sports Facility Community Improvement District; approving a Cooperative Agreement among the City of Joplin, Missouri, the Joplin Sports Facility Community Improvement District, and Prospect Village, LLC; and authorizing the City Manager to execute the Agreement on behalf of the City of Joplin.

5.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-501

AN ORDINANCE approving the Prospect Village Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Plan and Projects; establishing a redevelopment area and redevelopment project areas; designating Prospect Village, LLC, as the developer of Redevelopment Projects 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 5, and 6; approving a Tax Increment Financing Contract between the City of Joplin, Missouri and Prospect Village, LLC; and authorizing the City Manager to execute the Contract on behalf of the City of Joplin.

9.

Resolutions

1.

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-002

A RESOLUTION authorizing the filing of a Twenty-fourth Amendment of the Round 1 Action Plan with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as required for the use of the City of Joplin’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program (Round 1); and authorizing the City Manager to execute said Amendment for and on behalf of the City of Joplin. 

10.

Ordinances - Emergency

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-107

AN ORDINANCE approving an agreement with Dirks Heavy Contractors, LLC in the amount of Two Hundred Ninety Thousand Three Hundred Nineteen and 45/100 DOLLARS ($290,319.45) for Turkey Creek WWTP Digester Line Replacement and authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin; and containing an emergency clause.

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-511

AN ORDINANCE    amending the Annual Budget of the City of Joplin for the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 as adopted by Ordinance 2023-158 on October 16, 2023, to adjust appropriations and containing an emergency clause.

11.

Ordinances - First Reading

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-105

AN ORDINANCE approving an amendment (Change Order 1) to the construction agreement with Sprouls Construction, Inc. in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty-Four Thousand Three Hundred Twenty-Five Dollars and No Cents ($254,325.00) for the 4th and Murphy Blvd Geometric Improvements project, authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin, amending the Annual Budget of the City of Joplin for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 as adopted by Ordinance 2024-151 on October 21, 2024; and, setting a date when this Ordinance shall become effective.

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-108

AN ORDINANCE approving the issuance of a Purchase Order to Fabick Cat in the amount of Two Hundred Ten Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty and 00/100 Dollars ($210,780.00) for the purchase of a 2025 Weiler Model: G65 compact motor grader; and, setting a date when this ordinance shall become effective.

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-604

AN ORDINANCE   Authorizing the City of Joplin to issue a purchase order to Don Brown Chevrolet in the amount of Eight Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Dollars and No Cents ($867,360.00) for the purchase of sixteen (16) Chevy Tahoe Police vehicles; authorizing the City Manager to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin and setting an effective date.

12.

Ordinances - Second Reading and Third Reading

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2025-509

AN ORDINANCE enacting Article XIII, Public Transit, Section 114-846, Public Transit Fees and Section 114-847 through Section 114-850, Reserved of Chapter 114, Traffic of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Joplin to implement certain fees; and setting a date when this Ordinance shall become effective.

Documents:
  1. CB2025-509.pdf
13.

Unfinished Business

14.

New Business



Carl Junction man charged with felony DWI, failure to register as sex offender


A Carl Junction man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated and failure to register as a sex offender following a one-vehicle accident Wednesday at the intersection of Lone Elm Drive and Hickory Hills Drive.

According to the probable cause statement, John Allen Spoon (DOB 1989) drove a Dodge Dakota into an electrical post, snapping it in half and causing a fire that damaged a nearby workshop.







From the probable cause statement:

One of the Jasper County Deputies on scene advised me that the individual that was driving the Dodge smelled like alcohol and he told the deputies that he was drunk. I made contact with the driver who was later identified as John A. Spoon. I immediately noticed that he smelled like alcohol and that his eyes were bloodshot. I asked if he had anything to drink today and he advised me that he "Had a couple of shots because my brother told me not to be a pussy." 

I asked if he was willing to do some field sobriety test and he stated, "No I don't want to do any of that. Just take me to jail. I'm f-----d up." 

I asked if he would be willing to provide a breath sample and he stated, "I'm good, just take me to jail."

At approximately 1121 hours, based on Mr. Spoon's statements and my observations of him and the crash, I placed him under arrest for DWI- Alcohol. I continued investigating the crash. 

During my crash investigation, it was found that when Mr. Spoon crashed, he had his brother's dog with him and he was driving his brother's truck. I called Mr. Spoon's brother to ask if he could come get his dog and he stated, "I can't because I've been drinking and unlike somebody, I'm not going to leave the house." 

I asked if his brother had been drinking with him and he stated he was. I read Mr. Spoon his Miranda Rights and he stated he understood. I read him Missouri's implied consent law and he refused to provide a breath sample. 

While identifying Mr. Spoon it was found that he was a registered sex offender out of Oklahoma. Previously Mr. Spoon stated he was living in Missouri and also he was driving his brother's vehicle, which was not on his registry information. The readback of Mr. Spoon also stated he was out of compliance. 








Based on this information he was also placed under arrest for Failing to register on the sex offender registry. I transported Mr. Spoon to the Jasper County Jail. 

While transporting Mr. Spoon, he stated willingly that he thought about fleeing after the crash and that he was the kind of person to do so. Mr. Spoon stated the only reason he didn't run away was because he knew he "f----d up." 

Additionally, Mr. Spoon stated several times that his handcuffs were "pissing him off" and that he wanted to "swing on a motherf-----." Which I insinuated as he was threating to attack me after we got to the jail.








After arriving at the Jasper County Jail, Mr. Spoon offered to fight with me if I wanted to just for fun. I declined his request and released him to the custody of the Jasper County Jail, where he was placed on a 24-hour hold.

The DWI was charged as a felony due to Spoon's two previous DUI convictions in Oklahoma.

Spoon's bond was set at $5,000 cash or $10,000 surety.

The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Open enrollment bill gets public hearing after winning praise from Missouri governor


By Annelise Hanshaw

A Republican lawmaker from Sedalia has once again begun his push to allow some students to enroll in schools outside the district where they live.

(Photo- State Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, presents a bill to House Education Committee earlier this month- Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

For the fifth year in a row on Wednesday, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee debated an open enrollment bill sponsored by state Rep. Brad Pollitt.






 

As he introduced the legislation, Pollitt called it the “only school-choice bill that allows students to make a choice and stay in the public school system.”

In the previous four years that Pollitt filed the bill, state lawmakers have prioritized programs allowing families to use state funds for homeschooling and to attend private schools. The state’s K-12 tax credit program, dubbed MOScholars, passed in 2021, and it was expanded last year in a sweeping education package.

Pollitt’s bill has cleared committee and made it out of the House four times. But it has never been debated by the Senate.

He addressed his bill’s four-year purgatory in Wednesday’s committee hearing, saying good legislation doesn’t completely please anyone.

“All four years I’ve passed this bill, neither side was happy. It didn’t go far enough or it went too far,” he said. “Sometimes Missouri does a disservice by looking for perfection and bypassing what is better.”

Pollitt’s legislation has evolved through the years of deliberation. The current version has a cap of 3% on the portion of students allowed to leave a district annually.

He also added language suggested by the Missouri High School Activities Association, which oversees competitive athletics in Missouri schools, that would restrict students who transfer into a new district from competing in sports for one year.

The bill does not require school districts to accept students living outside the area but, instead, has an opt-in structure. Receiving districts would get state funding for the students coming in, but local funds would remain with the district of residence.

Some testified Wednesday that they are concerned the legislation would become mandatory for school districts in the future.

“Our worry is in the future. A lot of (laws) tend to start as voluntary and become mandatory,” said Tammy Henderson, who represents the North Kansas City School District. “We are concerned about losing some of the local control.”

Steve Carroll, a former lawmaker who now lobbies for school districts, cited his experience in the Missouri House in critiquing the bill.

“If this bill passes, within two or three legislative sessions, there is going to be a bill that is going to mandate this,” he said. “Mark my word.”

A majority of public comments were against the bill, and 220 school districts sent in a letter opposed to the legislation.








However, Pollitt’s proposal is not without its supporters — including Gov. Mike Kehoe, who included the bill in his State of the State speech Tuesday.

“To expand school choice, I urge the General Assembly to pass voluntary open enrollment in public schools,” he said.

Jordan Zachary, representing a national education nonprofit started by Jeb Bush called ExcelinEd, said Missouri’s neighbors already have open enrollment.

“We believe open enrollment to be one of those student-centered policies,”’ he said. “We do believe in giving students an opportunity to attend a school that best fits their needs.”








The bill would not require school districts to add accommodations for incoming students, and some worry the program would exclude students in special education.

Pollitt said he would work with Rep. Matthew Overcast, a Republican from Ava who serves on the education committee, to revise the bill to help students requiring accommodations. Overcast is an attorney with experience assisting students in special education.

The updated version would be presented to the committee before a vote.