Protests, kindled by livestreamed images from Palestine and set ablaze by university crackdowns on demonstrators, rage at colleges and universities across the country. Students have pitched encampments and occupied campus buildings while calling for an end to violence in Gaza — and demanding their institutions divest of companies they believe support the war there. “We are standing with the people of Palestine,” Rashed Shawabkeh said this week, waving a large Palestinian flag at a protest outside the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Despite little suppor ..read more

Bethany Heintz stood in front of the Kansas City, Kansas, school board to explain why she was leaving her job, but said she didn’t expect her story to make a difference.  “I have watched as my colleagues stood where I stand, said the things I’m about to say and resigned due to the lack of accountability and change,” the bilingual speech language pathologist said.  Heintz spoke about frustrations with the district’s special education program: problems like trouble keeping staff, subpar services for students and unhelpful leadership.  A report from the University of Kansas’ Cente ..read more

Takeaways: Mayor Quinton Lucas said that he was in talks with cities like Denver and New York to bring immigrants who are authorized to work to Kansas City. He hopes immigrants can boost the economy by filling the labor force. Data show that immigrants have a positive impact on local economies. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has essentially invited immigrants to come and fill the local labor pool. He’s offering officials in New York and Denver help from the crush of immigrants in those cities and welcoming foreign workers to Kansas City. That quickly sparked accusations that Lucas appear ..read more

Takeaways: More trash is going to Kansas City’s landfills every year. And as the city distributes new lidded trash bins, residents could end up throwing away even more. To bring down waste levels, Kansas City is expanding its composting and recycling programs. But for it to work, residents need to know how to use those programs. The trash can lids will prevent birds and squirrels from getting into trash, but the best way to keep out raccoons is to separate out compost and rinse recyclables. Kansas City is about to bottle up its trash better. Bins will replace bags, keeping animals out of ..read more

For generations, federal housing subsidies have provided a lifeline to families struggling to afford rent.  But the maximum amount families got for rent stayed the same regardless of which neighborhood best suited their needs — effectively segregating them into low-income areas.  Come this fall, the rent cap for a standard apartment will vary from one Kansas City ZIP code to the next.  Experts see the new program — Small Area Fair Market Rents, or SAFMR — as a game changer giving families access to neighborhoods they have been essentially shut out of. That could mean putting fa ..read more

Takeaways:  The Kansas City, Kansas, school district is asking voters to approve a $420 million bond.  The bond would pay for replacing Central and Argentine middle schools, consolidating six elementary schools into three new buildings, a new main public library, an aquatic center and a range of repairs and upgrades.  A homeowner whose residence is appraised at $100,000 would pay an added $97.75 a year for 30 years. When visitors come into New Stanley Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas, Principal Luis Arres feels embarrassed, as if he didn’t clean up for houseguests ..read more

Takeaways  Missouri lawmakers passed a law in 2023 that let freeze property taxes for seniors, but without much guidance.  Larger, wealthier counties are imposing freezes and ironing out the administrative details.  Even after revisions in the 2024 legislative session, some in Jefferson City think the law will need more clarification when lawmakers return next year. Last year, the Missouri General Assembly scrambled to act on an issue popular with voters who turn out in large numbers: property tax cuts for seniors in the form of a tax freeze. Lawmakers passed a vague direct ..read more

Takeaways:  A new version of the FAFSA was supposed to be easier, but many students have seen website glitches that made it hard or impossible to complete.  Some of the biggest challenges have been for students whose parents don’t have Social Security numbers.  Counselors urge students not to give up and say help filling out the FAFSA is available from high schools, universities and nonprofits.  Most years, May 1 marks “decision day” when many colleges ask students to let them know whether they’ll be attending.  But this year, problems with the Free Application fo ..read more

Takeaways: Kansas lawmakers may have the votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. A bill failed last year when a handful of Republicans voted against their party. This year’s bill is different, but it has the same goal.  Conservative Kansas lawmakers couldn’t ban gender-affirming care for transgender children last year after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill and Republicans fell short on an override vote. This year, they’ve passed a more restrictive ban and run into another veto from Kelly. Yet a veto override that would outlaw puberty blockers, hormone tre ..read more

Takeaways: State motor fuel tax revenue has dropped by 27% in Missouri and Kansas since 2002 because of increasing fuel efficiency of cars, giving states less money for street repairs. States are experimenting with different ways of collecting taxes from fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles, such as a road-usage charges and extra registration fees. Kansas City is gaining more lane miles of roads and highways, funded by the federal government. That makes it more expensive for the city to repair roads and potholes. The signs of springtime are among us: The smell of new flowers, the sig ..read more