MO board rejects requests for Ozarks districts to start school year earlier

Kyle Kruse said waivers did not meet threshold for approval.

The Missouri Board of Education unanimously denied requests from districts to start the 2026-27 school year earlier than allowed under state law.

Eight districts requested a waiver, which went before the board in January, and more than 130 others asked for the same leniency.

The initial requests were from Ash Grove, Dadeville, Nixa, Marionville, Monett, Stockton, Walnut Grove and Weaubleau.

They argued the late start – Aug. 24 is the first eligible day in 2026 – meant the fall semester is shorter than the spring, limiting how much instruction is possible before mandated Missouri Assessment Program exams are given annually.

State statute prohibits districts from starting a school year more than 14 days before the first Monday in September, which is Labor Day.

The start date limitation, signed into law in 2019, was largely driven by employers who rely on seasonal student workers, the timing of the state fair and the tourism industry. They argued there was a link between earlier start dates and less staffing and business in late August.

Kyle Kruse, deputy commissioner for financial and administrative services for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said waivers were only permitted in “highly unusual and extenuating circumstances,” according to state statute.

Kruse said the requests were reviewed by DESE and its legal counsel.

“We don’t believe that the reasons of wanting to have semesters or wanting to have more days of instruction prior to the MAP test necessarily qualify as a highly unusual and extenuating circumstance,” he said in the Feb. 10 meeting.

Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger, who was a lawmaker when the statute was passed, agreed the board should not approve the waivers. She thanked school leaders who advocated for the change at the January meeting.

“They’re wanting to provide the best opportunity for students to learn,” she said.

In the vote, the board denied all pending and future calendar waiver requests.