Facts About the Missouri State Board of Education

According to the Missouri Constitution, “The supervision of instruction in the public schools shall be vested in a state board of education ...” (Article IX, Section 2a). This provision gives the State Board of Education general authority for public education, within limits set by the General Assembly.

The Board is made up of eight citizens appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Members serve staggered, eight-year terms so that one term expires each year. No more than four members of the Board may belong to the same political party. No more than one member of the Board may reside in the same county or Congressional district. When terms expire, members continue to serve until being replaced or reappointed. The Board elects its own officers each year. Members receive $25 for each day of an official meeting.

In 2018, the General Assembly passed Section 161.026, RSMo, adding a teacher representative to the Board.

The Board’s duties and responsibilities range from preschool to the postsecondary and adult levels. The Board does not have direct authority over higher education institutions. However, the Board sets standards for and approves courses and professional programs for teachers and school administrators in Missouri’s public and private higher education institutions.

Under federal law, the Board serves as the state-level governing body for career and technical education programs provided by local school districts, community colleges and four-year institutions.

The Board has no authority to regulate or accredit private, parochial or home schools in the state.

The Board’s major duties include

• appointing the Commissioner of Education and setting policies for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• defining academic performance standards and assessment requirements for public schools.
• accrediting local school districts. The Board accredits school districts through the Missouri School Improvement Program, which includes minimum standards for high school graduation, curriculum, student testing, support services and other areas of school operations.
• establishing requirements for the education, testing, assessment, certification and recertification of all public school teachers and administrators.
• operating the Missouri School for the Blind (St. Louis), the Missouri School for the Deaf (Fulton), and the statewide system of Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled.
• overseeing federal education programs and the distribution of federal funds to school districts.
• establishing regulations for school bus safety and for fiscal management in local school districts.
• submitting annual budget recommendations for education to the Missouri Legislature.
• administering the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Sheltered Workshop program, which provide services for adult Missouri citizens with disabilities.

MISSOURI STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

PRESIDENT

Mary Schrag (D), West Plains, was appointed to the State Board of Education in 2019 by Governor Mike Parson and currently serves as Board President. She has chaired key initiatives, including Legislative Priorities, and led the implementation of the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Teacher Pay and Retention.

Schrag is the founder and Chairman of Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic, Inc. in West Plains and Mountain Grove, Missouri. She has served as project manager for the Missouri Health Foundation, supporting rural schools in southern Missouri.

She previously served on the Missouri State University Board of Governors from 2001 to 2011, including three years as Vice President and President. Schrag was a member of the Advisory Commission for Professional Physical Therapists under the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts for 12 years, serving as both Secretary and Chair.  In addition to serving on three statewide boards, Schrag is an active community volunteer, including board service with multiple nonprofit organizations such as the Isabel Center, an acute crisis center for children 12 and under.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology and psychology from Drury University and a Bachelor of Science in health-related professions from the University of Missouri.

Schrag's term expired on July 1, 2024. She continues to serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

VICE PRESIDENT

Kenneth "Brooks" Miller Jr. (R), Sunrise Beach, was appointed to the State Board in April 2025. He previously served as the president and CEO of Jordan Valley Community Health Center. In addition to his professional career, he has served as the vice president of the Springfield Board of Public Utilities and was most recently on the Truman State University Board of Governors. Miller earned his master's degree in education administration and bachelor's degree in business administration from Northeast Missouri State University.

Miller’s term will expire on July 1, 2029.

MEMBERS​

Kerry Casey (R), Chesterfield, was appointed to the State Board in November 2021. Casey recently retired from her position as Vice President of Exegy, a global leader in financial market data, trading platforms, and predictive signals, where she was responsible for Global Sales Operations and Enablement Casey was a founding board member of the KIPP Charter School in St. Louis and served on the board of directors until her appointment to the State Board. She is also a board member for the Lift for Life Gym and the Patriot Training Foundation and a past board member of Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. Prior to joining Exegy, Casey held executive-level positions with Thomson Reuters, MCI WorldCom, Skytel, and TWA.

Casey’s term expires on July 1, 2027.

Michael Matousek (R), Kansas City, was appointed to the State Board in April 2025. He serves as the director of the Government Freight Conference at the American Trucking Association. He has previous experience as the state legislative affairs director for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and legislative director in the Office of Congressman Sam Graves. Matousek earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Florida.

Matousek’s term will expire on July 1, 2028.

Jon Otto (I), Kansas City, was appointed to the State Board in April 2025. He serves as corporate counsel for Evergy, Inc. focusing on corporate governance, SEC compliance, corporate finance, and real estate transactions. Prior to joining Evergy, he was an attorney at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP and Polsinelli, PC law firms. Otto has served as a board member for Académie Lafayette Public Charter Schools, University Health KC, Missouri Charter Public School Association, Child Protection Center, Minddrive, and the UMKC Law Alumni Association. Otto earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law and his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University.

Otto’s term will expire on July 1, 2030.

Dr. Gretchen Shull, Webb City, was appointed to the State Board of Education in October 2025. She is a Board Certified Endocrinologist practicing in Joplin, Missouri with Mercy. Dr. Shull completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Endocrine Fellowship with the University of Kansas School of Medicine and her medical degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Throughout her time in practice, she’s developed several programs with the aim of reducing barriers to care as well as reducing healthcare costs overall. In 2016, she was recognized with the physician award, Salute to Healthcare for the Joplin Business Journal. Dr. Shull also currently serves as the Physician Lead for the Endocrinology Specialty Council and as the Medical Director of Diabetes Care for Mercy, Ministry.

Dr. Shull's term will expire on July 1, 2031.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge (D), Pasadena Hills, was appointed to the State Board of Education in January 2020, by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Westbrooks-Hodge is a former Vice President of the Normandy Schools Collaborative Joint Executive Governing Board and recently retired General Partner from Edward Jones, where she co-led the Internal Audit Division. She previously worked for Express Scripts, Anheuser-Busch and Bank of America in senior governance, risk and compliance roles and held certifications in financial, operational, and information systems auditing. She has considerable expertise in strategy formulation and execution and talent development and earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Northwest Missouri State University, then her master's degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Westbrooks-Hodge's term expires on July 1, 2026.

Teacher Representative, Vacant.