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Ballot Initiative Petition could outlaw school choice in Missouri
Ballot Initiative Petition 2022-057 would change Missouri's constitution to permanently outlaw any form of private school choice in Missouri and could dramatically change the autonomy that has made charter schools a success in the state.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
IP 2022-57 is open for public comment until Sept. 9 and it is imperative that we have as many people commenting on this as possible.
While it is unlikely that public comments will prevent the IP from moving forward, those comments can play a major role in impacting the way the IP is described, ensuring that voters fully understand the horrible impact this proposal would have on student freedoms in Missouri.
When submitting comments parents should emphasize the impact this IP would have on their family's plans to use ESAs, and encourage the secretary of state to make sure the title and description of the IP reflect those concerns.
Comments are limited to 1,000 characters. Here is an example of a comment that parents can make :
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Initiative Petition 2022-057 will have a far-reaching and long-lasting impact on Missouri students, dramatically limiting their access to educational options and ensuring that Missouri students continue to be trapped in a system where less than half of students statewide are proficient in reading or math.
As you write the title and introduction for this IP please make sure that language fully explains the full impact this will have on MO students. I am one of the thousands of families with low-income students or students with special needs who are eagerly awaiting the state's first ESA program that will us the power to customize their education to meet their specific needs. This petition would rob us of that opportunity before we even have a chance to access it. Please make sure the description of this IP makes sure anyone signing it knows it will be a dream-killer for thousands of students like my child.
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What IP 2022-57 would do
Outlaw ESAs
IP 2022-57 would alter the Missouri constitution to prevent families from receiving any tax-credit funded scholarships to pay for educational options like tuition to private schools. This would immediately negate the new Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program before it even has a chance to be implemented.
Prevent future school choice legislation
The wording of IP2022-57 would make it impossible for the Missouri General Assembly to even consider any new legislation that would help Missouri families choose the school that is best for their children, essentially trapping students in their district schools forever.
Remove charter school autonomy
IP 2022-57 also attacks charter schools by constitutionally requiring all public schools to be accredited in the same way. This would create a system where charter schools face double accountability, both to their sponsors and to the state MSIP program, effectively eliminating the flexibility that has made charter schools successful.