UPDATES ON EDUCATION RESEARCH AND POLICY
NEW POSTS WEEKLY!
We want to help lawmakers, educators, and families make decisions about education by providing updates on national, regional and Missouri-specific research. While we strive to be objective, we want to facilitate discussion and will occasionally offer our own views on this blog.
Why is Educational Opportunity in St. Louis So Unequal? How Past Housing Discrimination Still Shapes Communities & Schools
There are 23 geographic school districts across St. Louis City and County, and district boundary lines can determine which students have access to educational opportunity in our region. Per pupil spending in 2024–25 ranged from $8,731 per year in Jennings (0.4% White) to $24,862 per year in Clayton (61.2% White). Why this stunning disparity? Past local and federal policies prevented Black families in St. Louis from buying homes and building wealth, and our dependence on local property taxes to fund schools ensures past housing discrimination leaves a legacy today.
Over 34,000 Missouri Students Lacked Stable Housing Last School Year—Here’s Why That Matters
In Missouri, student homelessness is not just a growing crisis—it’s an urgent education policy issue. According to our new report, more than 34,000 students in Missouri’s public schools were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2022–23 academic year. That’s 1 in every 25 students, far higher than the national average. While Missouri makes up just 1.8% of the U.S. population, it accounts for 2.5% of all students identified as homeless nationwide—an overrepresentation that demands serious attention.