Governor Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 today, giving additional tools to local education agencies across the state. There are more than 30 provisions in Senate Bill 68, half of which focus on school safety. This wide-ranging education legislation addresses multiple aspects of elementary and secondary education, including the Governor’s priorities. The foundation of this bill will help provide a safe and undistracted learning environment for Missouri students. Highlights of Senate Bill 68 include:

Governor Mike Kehoe approved and signed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) $8.6 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget today, including these highlights:

In the 2025 legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly amended budget language to restructure the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Childhood (OOC) Home Visiting section. Pending Governor Kehoe’s signature of House Bill 2 (2025) and House Bill 5 (2025), effective July 1, 2025, the following changes will occur:

• The following programs will transition from DESE to the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF):

• Missouri Parenting Partnership Program (MOPPP)

Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) kicked off the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force this afternoon in Jefferson City. Per Governor Kehoe’s Executive Order 25-14, the Task Force is charged with reviewing and recommending changes to Missouri’s K-12 school funding model and providing a final report to the Governor by December 1, 2026.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced eight Missouri Gold Star Schools for 2025. The program, which aligns with the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes schools for outstanding academic achievement or for performing at high levels while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students.

Missouri’s 2025 Gold Star Schools include

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) leaders presented a series of recommendations to the State Board of Education (Board) today to reimagine the DESE-operated Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD). Those recommendations include

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of College and Career Readiness, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD), kicked off the Governor’s Workforce of the Future Challenge yesterday in Jefferson City.

Governor Kehoe Appoints Four New Members to the State Board of Education

Yesterday, Governor Mike Kehoe appointed four new members to the State Board of Education (State Board), Michael Matousek (Kansas City), Kenneth "Brooks" Miller Jr. (Sunrise Beach), Jon Otto (Kansas City), and Thomas G. Prater, M.D. (Springfield). These appointments are now subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate in the coming weeks.