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Access nonpartisan research and news about the policies shaping education in Kansas and Missouri.

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  • Weekly Update

    This Week’s Highlights: Top story — Kansas’ bell-to-bell cell phone ban has cleared both chambers of the Legislature and now sits on Governor Laura Kelly’s desk, putting the state one signature away from adopting one of the strongest school-day device restrictions in the…

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  • Weekly Update

    This Week’s Highlights: Top story — Missouri’s School Funding Modernization Task Force confronts a core structural question: how to update local effort calculations tied to 2004 property values while ensuring assessment practices are consistent across counties. We break down the tradeoffs and what…

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  • Weekly Update

    This Week’s Highlights: Top News – State of the states; we break down what Missouri and Kansas governors signaled on education and workforce policy.  Missouri Update – Early momentum builds around accountability, open enrollment, child care, and literacy, alongside a closer look…

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  • Webinar: Property Taxes & Education Funding

    On July 16, 2025, Aligned’s second webinar examined the vital link between property taxes and education funding in Kansas and Missouri. Property taxes remain the primary source of local school revenue, yet reliance on property wealth can create disparities between districts. The session…

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  • Big Changes Ahead for Employer Child Care Tax Credits

    Child care is no longer just a family issue. It is a workforce issue. Across the political spectrum, there is growing recognition that the lack of affordable, reliable care is holding back both parents and employers.  In the U.S. mixed-delivery…

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  • Update – July 2025

    This month’s highlights: Top News — Congress passes the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, ushering in major tax changes for child care, K–12 education, and workforce training. Missouri Update — The School Funding Modernization Task Force examines local property wealth disparities and begins working group…

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  • What the One Big Beautiful Bill Means for the Child Tax Credit

    On Friday, July 4, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law, ushering in a sweeping set of tax and fiscal changes with long-term implications for the federal budget, families, and state policy alike. One of the most closely…

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  • Update – June 2025

    This month’s highlights: Top News — Federal debates on the child tax credit and student loans gain momentum, while the Supreme Court lets Oklahoma’s religious charter school ruling stand. Missouri Update — Special session ends with new property tax ballot measures; the school funding task force begins work…

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  • Congress Weighs the Future of the Child Tax Credit

    As Congress negotiates the next major federal tax package, the future of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is once again up for debate. With key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire at the…

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  • Weekly Update

    This week’s highlights: Top News – Head Start facing elimination after 60 years Missouri Update – A look at the Governor’s first 100 days Kansas Update – Revenues Are Up — But Kansas’ Budget Still Faces Long-Term Imbalance Additional Highlights…

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  • Congress Weighs Child Tax Credit Expansion

    This week, as families across the country filed their 2024 returns, a quieter debate in Washington could reshape next year’s tax season — and the financial outlook for millions of households with children. Chief among the issues in play: whether…

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  • Weekly Update

    This week’s highlights: Top News – Congress Weighs Child Tax Credit Expansion Missouri Update – Kehoe replaces state board president Kansas Update – Legislative Session Recap Additional Highlights – Under the hood of the North Kansas City School District‘s nationally recognized Automotive Technology Program  Read our…

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