Judge sides with mother in online course case

A Cole County Circuit Court judge issued a judgment in favor of a Fulton Public Schools parent on Monday, deciding that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must include certain online courses on its approved course list.

According to the judgment filed on Monday, DESE had not previously approved certain online courses through the Missouri Virtual Academy, or MOVA program, that’s offered through the Grandview R-II School District.

The only previously approved MOVA course for kindergarten through fifth graders was a fifth grade English course, according to the court documents.

DESE previously would allow students from the Grandview District to take the courses during the school year and other students to take the courses during the summer, court documents said.

Miya Estill has three children in Fulton Schools and originally filed the petition at the beginning of July after Fulton would not allow her children to enroll for MOVA online courses during the regular school year. Fulton Schools argued it was not approved by DESE.

DESE was ordered to approve the courses by 4:30 on Tuesday.

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