The Missouri State Board of Education has approved closing 12 state schools for the severely disabled by next school year in an effort to overhaul the program and boost services for students with extensive support needs.
The move follows a yearlong review by a 50-member advisory committee, which found enrollment in the program has dropped 36% in the past 16 years.
Mark Wheatley, assistant commissioner of special education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the schools were groundbreaking in the 1950s, but changing laws and recent reviews show it is time to rethink the program to better serve students.
"It was pretty obvious there were significant challenges with facilities, delivery of instruction that needed to be addressed," Wheatley explained. "Then, with regard to research around improved student outcomes, it was time to reimagine what MSSD can be."
Six of the schools were already temporarily closed due to staffing shortages. The other six will close by the 2025-26 school year to prevent future emergency consolidations, and the students were placed in other schools.
Reviews of the program found nearly a quarter of staff positions sitting vacant, frequent leadership turnover, and outdated buildings not designed for today’s needs. Wheatley emphasized the focus of the changes.
"I think it is important for us to just remember that we're talking about school buildings here," Wheatley stressed. "We're talking about things, desks, tables. But, when it comes down to it, we really need to be considerate of the students."
Leaders also want more Missouri students with extensive support needs learning alongside their nondisabled peers, a key goal under federal special education law. Right now, 36 states place such students in less restrictive settings than Missouri does.
This story was originally published by The Missouri Public News Service—a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
