The Missouri public Board of Education approved a plan Tuesday afternoon that calls for the closure of 12 public schools that serve students with disabilities next year.
The plan to combine the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled, or MSSD, was not discussed much on Tuesday. During a retreat last month and a May meeting, board members went deeper into the plan.
In a news release, Board President Mary Schrag stated that the State Board of Education views this as the first step toward expanding opportunities and improving education for all kids enrolled in Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. This choice will lead to a more effective program that enhances the high-quality resources offered to students and their families, but it is not made lightly.
Briarwood in Harrisonville, Citadel in Potosi, College View in Joplin, Crowley Ridge in Dexter, Delmar Cobble in Columbia, Dogwood Hills in Eldon, Gateway/Hubert Wheeler in St. Louis, Lakeview Woods in Lee’s Summit, Lillian Schaper in Bowling Green, Ozark Hills in Salem, Prairie View in Marshall, and Rolling Meadow in Higginsville are among the schools listed as having to close by the end of June 2026.
61 pupils were impacted by the brief emergency shutdown of six of the schools due to staffing shortages. Mark Wheatley, the department’s assistant commissioner of special education, informed the board that the remaining six buildings that were scheduled to close had a total enrollment of 64 kids and were in danger of closing in an emergency.
The move comes as MSSD faces ongoing challenges, including a 36% drop in enrollment over the previous 16 years and $50 million in unfinished maintenance across 34 school buildings.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education engaged a consultant who deemed the current program unsustainable.
To provide the program direction, a committee has been working with consultants for the last two years. In order to reduce the program to 12 locations, they advise combining the schools, closing 24 current facilities, and building two new ones.
Although separate day schools for special education were historically widely used across the country, Missouri is the only state that now does so.
Some parents claim that Missouri’s program works for their children, despite a national movement to better integrate pupils with learning difficulties. 85% of parents surveyed by consultants stated that they were more satisfied with MSSD’s ability to meet their child’s requirements than with previous schools.
Since we are a nonprofit news organization, everyone can view our stories for free. That is made possible by readers like you. Would you be able to support our watchdog coverage today?
As a 501c(3) public charity, Missouri Independent is a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network backed by grants and a coalition of donors. The editorial independence of Missouri Independent is upheld. For inquiries, send an email to [email protected] to reach Editor Jason Hancock.
