Missouri State Board Approved New A-F School Grading
The new system evaluates student performance metrics, but no additional funding was requested to support district resources.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Secondary Education
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In September 2026, the Missouri State Board of Education voted 8-1 to implement an A-F grading framework for public schools across the state. This new evaluation system is designed to provide clear performance metrics for schools following an executive order signed by the Governor in January 2026.
Why it matters
The board established this system to standardize how parents and families evaluate school performance through metrics like academic growth and graduation rates. However, the decision to forgo a $300 million funding increase leaves a significant gap in school support compared to the state funding formula.
The new framework uses academic achievement, growth, and success-ready measures to grade schools, but the board opted against requesting $300 million to address current state funding formula gaps. Missouri currently ranks 49th nationally for the percentage of state-provided public school funding.
The players
Missouri State Board of Education
The governing body responsible for setting standards and overseeing the performance of public schools across Missouri.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The state agency tasked with creating educational frameworks and managing state-level school accountability policies.
Mike Kehoe
The Governor of Missouri who signed the executive order that led to the development of the new school grading system.
The details
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education developed the framework to assess schools based on specific performance indicators. Elementary and middle schools are graded on academic achievement and proficiency, while high schools include graduation rates and college-or-career readiness benchmarks in their scores. This move shifts how Missouri oversees district performance data, moving from previous reporting methods to a streamlined letter-grade system.
Timeline
January 2026: Governor Mike Kehoe signed an executive order regarding school grading.
September 2026: The Missouri State Board of Education officially approved the grading framework.
The Home Front
The shift toward A-F grading highlights ongoing tensions between educational accountability standards and the state funding formula. This decision maintains Missouri's position as one of the lowest providers of state-level funding for public education nationally.
Families should review their school district's performance reports once the new grading system is implemented to understand how their local schools are classified. Keep in mind that these grades do not account for the state funding gap, so check school board meeting minutes for updates on local budget impacts.
The takeaway
The new grading system provides a single letter grade for schools, but it does not resolve the underlying budget shortfalls facing many districts. Parents should track their specific school's score and contact their local board representative to ask how the funding gap will affect classroom resources.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in local classrooms by visiting the Secondary Education page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ky3.
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