Missouri

Thousands of Missouri students have left public education. Here's why

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

Thousands of Missouri students have left public education. Here's why

Thousands of students in Missouri have left public school in the last four years, in line with a national trend of more families disengaging from public education.

An analysis by the Associated Press, Big Local News and Stanford University economist Thomas Dee found enrollment in Missouri’s public schools dropped by 2% from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2022-2023 school year — making up nearly 18,000 students.

Nationally, the AP’s study found private schooling grew nearly 8% and homeschooling grew by nearly 27% during the same time period among more than 30 states with credible private, public or homeschool enrollment data.

Collin Hitt, executive director of the PRiME Center, which studies education in Missouri, said it’s been an open question whether the state’s homeschooling jump was temporary.

“Given the fact that we’re seeing public K-12 enrollments stay relatively flat, it probably suggests this is something that’s going to continue for some time, which is a major development,” Hitt said.

Thousands of students across the country still haven’t returned to the classroom since the pandemic shut schools down for months. An estimated 230,000 students were considered “missing” in fall 2021, meaning demographic changes or increases in private school or homeschooling couldn’t account for their disappearance from public education.

Students have since slowly made their way back to varying forms of education or aged out of school, leaving only 50,000 kids unaccounted for.

Missouri doesn’t track private school data and doesn’t legally require parents to tell the state when they homeschool their child. However, most parents will notify their public school district if they switch to homeschooling.

Based on that limited data, Missouri has seen a 34% increase in homeschooling since 2019 — but that doesn’t include children who never attended public schools to begin with.

Education leaders anticipated a drop in enrollment across the country because of declining birth rates. U.S. birth rates have been on the downswing for more than a decade, hitting a record low in 2020.

The AP found there are 3,000 fewer school-aged children in Missouri compared to when the pandemic began.

Hitt said even if birth rates remain flat going forward, the declines between 2010 and 2020 have yet to age their way through the system, which will result in lower school enrollment.

However, he said birthrates can’t explain the steep drop in enrollment after the pandemic hit.

“What the pandemic did is it exposed more parents to homeschooling and virtual schooling,” Hitt said. “It also changed the work dynamic for tons of families, where tons of families are now working from home all or most of the time.”

That, combined with more private school vouchers and savings programs for families to spend on public school alternatives, Hitt said, has created the perfect conditions for a homeschooling boom.

Dannielle Joy Davis, known by many as Dr. Joy, runs a program for homeschooling families called “The Circle of Excellence” and is a professor of higher education at St. Louis University.

She began homeschooling her son before the pandemic, but said it was some families’ first exposure to homeschooling.

“Once students experienced that and enjoyed it, and once parents saw the joy of learning in their own households, as you imagine, some parents said, “‘This is nice — we should keep doing this,’” Davis said.

She said parents who choose to homeschool are drawn to the freedom to choose how to teach their children. For example, her son took a scuba class with a certified diver because he loves marine biology.

Davis said more families are turning to homeschooling for another reason.

Society and schools have seen dramatic changes in the last several years. Repeated mass shootings have heightened concerns around school safety. A white Minneapolis police officer’s 2020 murder of George Floyd kicked off international calls for justice and police reform. Republican state legislators in Missouri have targeted school curricula around history and race in recent years.

Davis said some parents see homeschooling as an opportunity to protect their children from bullying, sexism or racism at school — and even the stress of having to go through a metal detector to enter the building.

“A large part of the shift is out of love,” Davis said. “The parents’ love of the children to say, ‘Look, the system is not the ideal in terms of cultivating a safe, peaceful, loving environment for my kid and look, I get to do something about it.’”

Thinking “smaller and smarter”

Hitt said declining public school enrollment has some potential benefits, like smaller class sizes. He said that could also allow the state to give schools more money per pupil in the short term, since the state legislature is used to appropriating a certain amount for K-12 education.

“It’s possible that these enrollment declines will take some pressure off of the system and let them get down to a size that might actually work better for kids,” Hitt said.

But districts that see a significant decline in enrollment could have a substantial drop in state and federal resources, Hitt said, since those are typically determined on a per-pupil basis.

The steep enrollment drop following the pandemic has mostly leveled, but Hitt said schools will still have to cope with the fallout of declining birth rates for years to come.

“Going forward, I think 20 years from now, when we look back at who the most effective educational leaders were of this generation,” Hitt said. “It’s going to be the people who figured this out; how do we get smaller, and smarter and better all at once?”

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Missouri

Scouting Future Saints: Missouri edge rusher Zion Young

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Scouting Future Saints: Missouri edge rusher Zion Young

Edge rusher turned out to be a strong position for the New Orleans Saints last season. Saints edge rushers combined for 28.5 sacks in 2025, with Chase Young and Cameron Jordan accounting for 20.5 sacks and 52 pressures. Jordan is currently a free agent and will be in his 16th season if he does return. This leads most believing that the team will pursue a young edge rusher in the draft. One option could be Missouri Tigers pass rusher Zion Young if this happens. Young is one of a handful of talented edge defenders that could still be on the board midway through the second day. Here is a closer look at the profile of perhaps one of the more underrated defenders in the 2026 NFL Draft class.

Zion Young bio

Position: Edge
College: Missouri Tigers
Height: 6-feet, 6 inches
Weight: 262 pounds

Out of Westlake High School in Georgia, Young initially committed to the Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten. He’d see limited playing time during eight games in 2022 but still managed a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss among 21 total stops. Young was much more involved for the Spartans in 2023, recording 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He’d enter the transfer portal after that season, landing with the Missouri Tigers in the SEC.

A stout Missouri defense was strengthened with Young’s addition. He contributed 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss among his 42 total stops in 2024. Last season, Young solidified his attention from NFL scouts. He led the Tigers with 16.5 tackles for loss, second best in the SEC, in addition to 6.5 sacks. Those numbers earned him 1st Team All-SEC honors.

Strengths

Prototype size and length for both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts
Displays good power and leverage on contact
Strength to muscle through double-teams
Sets the edge extremely well against the run
Keeps blockers off–balance with combination of speed and power
Sets up inside moves with good arm extension

Weaknesses

Inconsistent pass rush production
Lacks refined counter moves
Not a great bend around the outside of tackles
Must do a better job at disengaging for pursuit
Questionable agility for a stand-up edge rusher

Zion Young 2026 draft outlook

Most predictions have Young being selected in the second or third round. He does have the power and upside to be a surprise first round selection for the right scheme. While his agility and athleticism creates some questions, there is little doubt that he has the raw power and tenacity to be a defensive contributor.

New Orleans is expected to add an edge rusher within the first two days of the draft. With an emphasis on an improved run defense, Young could be a welcomed addition to their system as a strong side defender. Young’s upside as a pass rusher would govern how much he plays early, but he would likely be an immediate part of any defensive rotation along the outside.

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Missouri

Thousands show up to protest current administration at ‘No Kings’ rally in Kansas City, Missouri

Published

17 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Thousands show up to protest current administration at ‘No Kings’ rally in Kansas City, Missouri

KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.

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Thousands showed up to Mill Creek Park on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, in a wave of protests across the country criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration.

Thousands show up to protest current administration at KCMO ‘No Kings’ rally

Multiple protesters told KSHB 41 News they participated in the protest because they feel like it is the only way their voices can be heard.

Chris Morrison/KSHB

Sharon

“Congress is not working for us,” said Sharon, a protester at Mill Creek Park. “I have called my Congress people numerous times.”

It was the third wave of ‘No Kings’ protests across the country since June 2025.

“I’ve been here for each of the ‘No Kings,’ and I’ll admit that I’m frustrated that I have to be back here again,” protester Carter Taylor said.

Taylor is a teacher for Kansas City Public Schools with AFT Local 691, and she said she showed up to represent her students.

“I hope that everyone here doesn’t just stay here today — that they donate to food banks, that they check in on their public schools,” Taylor said.

Screenshot 2026-03-28 at 5.35.36 PM.png — Protesters marched on the Country Club Plaza in a wave of No Kings protests across the country on March 28, 2026.

Protesters held signs critiquing the current administration’s stances on tariffs, ongoing wars and immigration enforcement, among other things.

Screenshot 2026-03-28 at 5.24.48 PM.png — Lonnie Beattle

“It means that people care,” protester Lonnie Beattle said. “People care about what’s going on in this country, and people are not happy with what’s going on in the country.”

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 27, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 27 drawing

13-27-28-41-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 27 drawing

Midday: 1-2-5

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 1-5-9

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 27 drawing

Midday: 4-9-8-1

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 6-7-3-3

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 27 drawing

Early Bird: 10

Morning: 10

Matinee: 03

Prime Time: 15

Night Owl: 09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 27 drawing

08-15-18-25-29

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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