Your letters Dec. 24, 2022

Almost 30% of Missouri school districts now run a four-day-week. Last week, the Independence School District announced that it will fall to four days next year. What is the impetus for so many schools to delete one day per week? A lack of funding from the Missouri GOP. When superintendents announce the schedule, they don’t point to student data, they always point to teacher recruitment and retainment. They point to a lack of resources.

Missouri is ranked 50th in starting teacher pay and 49th in educational funding. The Missouri GOP has defunded our schools for at least a decade — it’s resulted in tough times for our schools and kids, but here is something even more bothersome, it’s calculated.

The GOP is allied with private schools to take public tax money and funnel it into private hands with school vouchers. The GOP has purposely defunded schools to cause some to fail. When that happens, organizations like the Herzog Foundation can swoop in to provide a private Christian school with money. They can cause even more public schools to fail by lowering public school enrollment.

This isn’t accidental. Our children suffer.

Jess Piper

Hopkins, Missouri