FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2026
Jefferson City, Mo. — MASA Executive Director Dr. Mark Penny issued the following statement:
On Tuesday, the State Board of Education set aside its own department’s recommendation and declined to request full funding of the foundation formula established in state law.
This is a failure of the board’s most basic responsibility: advocating for Missouri’s public schools and the students they serve. The board’s job is to tell the governor and the General Assembly what our schools need. Instead, this board has made the unprecedented choice to recommend that public schools remain underfunded, an action that reflects a board increasingly hostile to public education. That choice makes an already difficult financial situation even more precarious for local school districts.
Reversing Missouri’s current course will require teachers, parents, school leaders and community members to see clearly what is being done to their schools and to hold accountable those whose decisions undermine the children and communities Missouri schools serve.
The State Board of Education does not get the final say. That responsibility belongs to the governor and the General Assembly, and we will make our case directly to the elected leaders who have the opportunity to stand up for Missouri’s public schools and their communities.
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About MASA
The Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) is the statewide professional organization for school superintendents and central office administrators in Missouri. MASA is committed to advancing public education through leadership development, advocacy, and member support. MASA provides professional learning opportunities, legislative representation, and strategic resources to help school administrators lead with excellence.