Why Missouri Needs a Right to Education Amendment

Every child in Missouri deserves a quality public education. But right now, Missouri’s outdated funding system leaves many students behind, and the state provides one of the lowest shares of public school funding in the nation.

The Right to Education Amendment would guarantee every Missouri child access to a quality public education and ensure the state meets its responsibility to fund it.

States with a Right to Education See Better Results

Research shows that states with a constitutional guarantee to education experience:

• Better student outcomes: Higher test scores, graduation rates, and post-secondary attainment.
• More stable funding: Courts can hold legislatures accountable for maintaining adequate funding levels, reducing reliance on local property taxes.
• Smaller class sizes and better teacher pay: Leading to more individualized attention for students and better teacher retention.

Evidence

• Increased funding improves outcomes: A comprehensive study found that a 10% increase in per-pupil spending each year for 12 years led to 0.27 more years of completed education, 7.25% higher wages, and a 3.67% reduction in adult poverty rates. (Jackson, Johnson, Persico, 2016)
• Constitutional mandates lead to increased investment: States with court-ordered education funding following constitutional challenges saw substantial increases in per-pupil spending and improved student outcomes. (Lafortune, Rothstein, Schanzenbach, 2018)
• Missouri’s low state share: Missouri ranks 47th in the nation for state share of education funding, with only 30% of funding coming from the state, while 47% comes from local property taxes—placing an unfair burden on local communities and creating unequal opportunities for students. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Public Education Finances)

Why It Matters for Missouri

Our children are being shortchanged. Local property taxes leave schools in lower-income communities underfunded while wealthier districts can afford more resources, exacerbating inequality.

We can change this. By enshrining the right to a quality education in our constitution, we can:

• Ensure the state fully funds its responsibility to public education.
• Reduce inequities tied to ZIP code and family income.
• Improve teacher pay and classroom conditions.
• Protect schools from future funding cuts.

It’s Time to Guarantee the Right to Education

Education should be a fundamental right, and every child in Missouri deserves the chance to reach their full potential. Passing the Right to Education Amendment will help us build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Missouri for all.

Examples

• Massachusetts (“adequate, equitable, and efficient”)
  Strong clause + court mandate in McDuffy v. Secretary of Education → investment in urban schools → among top-performing states in NAEP scores.
• New Jersey (guarantees “thorough and efficient education”)
  Led to Abbott v. Burke rulings → billions in additional funding to urban schools → measurable improvements in graduation and literacy rates.
• Missouri
  The constitution requires “free public schools,” but courts have found no enforceable right to adequate or equitable funding, limiting reform leverage.

The Bottom Line

States with strong education rights in their constitutions and courts that enforce them tend to have fairer school funding and better results for students, especially those in need. States with weaker protections often see school funding and quality rise and fall with politics and the economy.