Missouri's education department wants to grade every public school on an A-F scale by September 30. Its own plan warns the system may not be ready.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted a 24-page implementation plan to Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday, fulfilling his January executive order. The document estimates $518,000 to build the grade card system and $715,100 a year to maintain it. Most of that money isn't in DESE's current budget; the department says it will ask the legislature for a supplemental appropriation.

That request lands the same day Kehoe vetoed or froze nearly $500 million from the state budget, the Missouri Independent reported, and after lawmakers declined to add $190 million needed to fully fund the state education formula.

What it means in classrooms

The most immediate impact for students and teachers: to hit the September 30 publication deadline, DESE would move standardized testing up two weeks. Students would have two fewer weeks of instruction before sitting for MAP and end-of-course exams, according to the plan's timeline. Schools that routinely test at the end of the current window would face the largest schedule compression.

Teachers would navigate a tighter prep calendar. Districts would get less time to review data and file appeals before letter grades go public.

DESE's plan acknowledges the rush could undermine accuracy, stating that changes to data processing "may impact the quality of data used in the grade cards, especially in the initial cycle."

No legislation, new leadership

The A-F system arrives by executive order, not statute. A broader education bill collapsed in the 2026 session over charter school expansion. State Rep. Dane Diehl (R-Butler) acknowledged the inevitability during House debate: "The governor's executive order, it's going to happen either way."

Interim Commissioner Stacey Preis, who took over in mid-June after Commissioner Karla Eslinger retired, will oversee implementation. The State Board of Education reviews the plan in August.

Parkway and Rockwood already stretched

Neither district has responded publicly to Tuesday's submission. Both face flat state funding and rising costs that make any new mandate land harder.

Rockwood scored 90 percent on DESE's existing performance report for 2024-2025, ranking first among the state's four largest K-12 systems. The district relies on local property taxes for 70 percent of its $281 million budget. Rockwood CFO Cyndee Byous warned in May that without restored state funding, "program cuts will be required." The district expects an $8 million loss from lottery revenue shortfalls alone.

If the State Board approves the plan in August, first A-F grades publish by September 30. Parents will see a single letter on their child's school for the first time this fall.