Judge Rejects Attempt to Block Missouri School Choice Program for Disabled and Low-Income Students
Dallas, Texas – The American Federation for Children applauds today’s court ruling supporting education freedom in Missouri. The ruling helps ensure funding will continue flowing to students with disabilities and students from low-income families.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for parents and kids across Missouri,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a joint statement this morning with Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek. “My office will keep fighting until this baseless lawsuit is thrown out entirely,” Bailey also said.
The Missouri National Education Association did not secure an order that would immediately halt scholarship funding for Missouri students. Despite the fact that the school year has already begun and funds are already being distributed, the schooling union lodged a lawsuit meant to jeopardize funding for up to 7,500 students. Fortunately, they have failed.
Statement from Ryan Cantrell, Chief State Strategy Officer, American Federation for Children:
“Today’s decision is a huge win for Missouri families. Children living in poverty and children with special needs are extremely vulnerable. Had our opponents prevailed, those are precisely the groups who would have taken the brunt of the fallout.
The union made a shameful, self-serving decision to lodge this suit at the potential expense of these students. In their view, choosing lawfare to advance a political agenda was worth the price of forcing children out of schools where they are thriving.
All Missouri children deserve to learn in the environment best suited for them. Today’s wise decision ensures that families – not the MNEA – can keep determining what is best for their children.”
About AFC:
The American Federation for Children is the nation’s largest school choice advocacy organization and the most successful force for education freedom in America, passing over 200 laws across 32 states throughout our history. Our affiliated Super PAC, AFC Victory Fund, is the only nationwide Super PAC focused on advancing school choice.
