Kansas City, Missouri School District Loses Their Accrediation: What Does It Mean?

Lately in the news, we've heard plenty about how the Kansas City, Missouri School District lost their accreditation. For many of us, we don't know what that means or how it impacts us or our schools. Below is a brief description of what's happening and who is affects:

• The State Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday (9/20/11) to strip the district of its accreditation on January 1.
• Kansas City hit only 3 of the 14 marks required by the state to achieve accreditation. Only one other school system in Missouri had equally poor marks.
• The district now has two years to improve its academics. If there is not enough progress to satisfy the state, the law provides the state can move in and take control. That happened several years ago in St. Louis. That district remains under state control.
• The Missouri State School Board also placed the accreditation ranking for the Hickman Mills School District on hold for another year during Tuesday's meetings.
• The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will work with the district to re-evaluate and intensify an ongoing joint turnaround plan and report new plans to the state school board in December.
• Starting Jan. 1, state law enables families in unaccredited school districts to seek enrollment in other districts, with the unaccredited district bearing the cost. That law currently is tied up in a court case out of the St. Louis area but could have a significant impact on Kansas City and its neighboring districts.

For more information about KSMSD losing their accreditation, view the video.