Updated 5:06 p.m. with statement from Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Missouri Supreme Court has again uphelda law requiring unaccredited school districts to pay for students who chose to attend elsewhere.
The court's unanimous decision Tuesday applies to the Kansas City School District and its suburban neighbors. A similar ruling earlier this year dealt with St. Louis area schools.
A 1993 Missouri law requires unaccredited school districts to cover the costs for students to attend nearby accredited schools.
Kansas City's school district has been unaccredited since 2012, but student transfers have been on hold because of the legal challenge.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an assertion that the student transfer law amounted to an unfunded mandate that violated the state constitution.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued the following statement after the ruling:
“The Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education will do everything we can to support the Kansas City area school districts in complying with the transfer law. Our guidance document should serve as a starting point for helping educators and parents create a smooth process for student transfers: http://dese.mo.gov/documents/Transfer_Guidance.pdf. ”
- Read the full opinion from the Supreme Court.
