Education Archives

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should schools in areas of high coronavirus transmission go online?

January 17, 2022 2:00 AM ABC 17 News Team

The debate rages over whether schools should maintain in-person learning as the omicron variant sickens Americans at never-before-seen rates.

Parents, students, teachers react to Columbia Public Schools adding extra teacher workdays due to COVID spread

January 14, 2022 6:33 PM Hannah Falcon

Columbia Public Schools canceled several days of classes in January and added two early release days in an effort to relieve pressure put on educators during the current surge of new COVID-19 cases.

University of Missouri to tear down Mizzou North

January 14, 2022 8:56 PM ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri is now planning to tear down “Mizzou North.” At one point MU was considering selling the property, but will now keep the land and demolish the building instead. This is part of a larger plan the university announced last March to save millions of dollars that plan included

Boonville school district to use snow day on Tuesday to ‘regroup’

January 13, 2022 10:24 PM Karl Wehmhoener

BOONVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) Boonville R-I School District will use a snow day on Tuesday. There will be no school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Boonville Superintendent Dr. Sarah Marriott said in an email the district determined it needed to “regroup” on Tuesday. “As the result of a culmination of events such

States hope relaxed substitute teaching requirements will ease omicron labor crunch

January 13, 2022 11:57 AM Kennedy Miller

As coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide, many school districts in Mid-Missouri are finding it difficult to keep teachers inside the classroom.

CPS students protested in favor of mask mandate

January 13, 2022 3:05 PM Erika McGuire

Students returned from winter break last week after the Columbia Board of Education voted for the mask mandate to end Jan. 4.

Columbia, Jefferson City public schools reinstate mask mandates as coronavirus cases set records

January 13, 2022 1:37 PM Zachary Farwell

Each district announced the changes in letters to parents and news releases Thursday.

A resident processes a self-administered at-home Covid-19 test

Shortage of antigen tests continues in Missouri

January 12, 2022 12:41 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on across the country and here in Missouri, the amount of at-home tests available to Missourians is scarce and people are facing long lines at testing centers. This comes as Governor Mike Parson put an end to the state of emergency on December 31st, 2021.

School districts take steps to keep the doors open despite rising COVID-19 concerns

January 12, 2022 5:55 PM Chanel Porter

As COVID-19 continues to spread in schools across the nation, some locals are taking extra steps in order to keep students learning inside of the classroom.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you support bills such as the ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights?’

January 12, 2022 2:32 AM ABC 17 News Team

A hearing room was packed in the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday as scores of people showed up to support or oppose legislation known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights.”

At-home Covid-19 rapid test kits were already in short supply at stores. Now

Missouri puts pause on antigen test program for schools

January 11, 2022 9:55 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) The state of Missouri is putting a pause on a program that provides rapid COVID-19 tests to schools across the state. Mallory McGowin Spokeswomen for The State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says, “We now have depleted the limited quantity, the limited inventory that was set aside for schools.” Hundreds of

University of Missouri Board of Curators votes down temporary face mask recommendations

January 11, 2022 8:56 AM Zachary Farwell

Board members met virtually at 8 a.m. to talk and vote on the recommendations from President Mun Choi. The board voted the first recommendation down with 3 to 6. Board members voted 2 to 7 against the second recommendation.

Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation breaks record for most public testimony submitted in Missouri House

January 11, 2022 2:06 PM Hannah Falcon

Before the Missouri House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education recessed at 10 a.m., committee staff shared that the House record for most public testimony submitted in person or in writing was broken.

Former Cole R-V School District teacher dies a year after retiring; district cancels classes Thursday

January 11, 2022 6:01 PM Karl Wehmhoener

EUGENE, Mo. (KMIZ) The Cole R-V School District is reporting the death of Edward Hager, a longtime agriculture sciences instructor and FFA advisor. The district reported Hager retired at the end of last school year. Hager was a native of Eugene and former graduate of Cole R-V High School. The district said in a Facebook

Blair Oaks R-II School District names new intermediate school principal

January 11, 2022 5:44 PM Karl Wehmhoener

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Blair Oaks R-II School District announced Tracey Burns as Blair Oaks Intermediate School Principal for the 2022-2023 school year. Burns currently serves as director of curriculum and assessment in the Blair Oaks R-II School District and has served in this position for the last 7 years and has 11 years

Missouri Supreme Court sides with Jefferson City Schools in dispute with former employee

January 11, 2022 4:03 PM Matthew Sanders

The court found in its 12-page opinion that the district showed Tammy Ferry violated district policy by transferring the files to her computer in 2019 “without a legitimate educational interest.”

University of Missouri declines to change COVID-19 protocols amid spike in student cases

January 11, 2022 5:30 AM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri System Board of Curators declined to change its COVID-19 protocols amid a spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases among MU students. On Monday morning, the board members released an agenda for the immediate review of the system’s COVID-19 protocols. During the 8 a.m. meeting Tuesday, MU

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should MU start the semester with in-person classes?

January 11, 2022 1:59 AM ABC 17 News Team

Many colleges and universities — including Stephens and Columbia colleges — have decided to start their semesters with online classes because of the high case rates, which have led to record hospitalizations. The UM Board of Curators meets Tuesday to review COVID-19 protocols.

Columbia Board of Education votes to put $80 million bond issue on the April ballot

January 10, 2022 5:24 AM Meghan Drakas

At the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education meeting Monday night, the board members plan to vote on adding an $80 million bond issue to the City of Columbia’s April ballot.

Mid-Missouri schools move ahead with in-person learning as coronavirus surge sets records

January 10, 2022 11:51 AM Kennedy Miller

School is back in session for districts around Mid-Missouri, but the return to classrooms has coincided with a meteoric rise in new coronavirus infections, causing at least one area school to hold remote classes and creating worries among some parents.